Falling Star
by OceanMist9
Summary: So Rylin's lived hundreds of years- her life wasn't exciting until she met a certain demigod who happened to be a son of Hades... When she has the choice to either save him or the world, what will she choose? OC/Nico, Percy/Annabeth...COMPLETE!
1. Prolouge

This is the story I've been dreaming to write- ta-da! I hope you enjoy it- I spent many sleepless nights and even one time with a bloody nose to write this story as amazing as I could possibly make it. I'm sure Rick Riordan would be proud…

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any of the settings, other characters and anything else that was in the books. I just own Ryley and everything about her.

But I sure wish I did own the series!

* * * * * * * * * *

He leaned against the railing, the sea breeze blowing his hair back from his face and illuminating the huge scar across his cheek. The stars glinted coldly overhead as the Princess Andromeda skimmed the waves, always casting a thin light.

The telekhine came up behind him.

"My lord, Kampe is here to see you." His quivering voice was the only betrayal of fear.

"Send her in," Kronos said, enjoying his power over the lesser creature. "And hurry while you're at it. I've had enough messing around." The telekhine bowed, then shuffled out of the balcony.

Kronos tipped his head as he gazed upon the sea. There were still many obstacles in his way before he could get to the Olympians, that infernal Camp Halfblood being one of them. But it wouldn't be long before he conquered them all, especially if Kampe's mission was successful.

The deck creaked as Kampe landed, scattering the dim light into tiny shards.

"My lord," she said as she bent her front legs into a crouch. Some bow it was.

"Your mission, Kampe?" Kronos' impatience weaved through his words.

The monster's face cracked into a huge grin. "Target destroyed."

Kronos almost smiled as well. But he had a reputation to uphold, a title of cruelty that rang in his name. It was very well that the mission had been a success. Kampe might have just secured an easy victory for him.

"What do you have to say now, Ryley?" Kronos whispered to the sky, his eyes on the moon. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

"Of course, sir."

"And why would that be?"

"Because she's dead, sir."

The last chance of stopping him had been destroyed. The Olympians didn't stand a chance.

* * * * * * * * * *

Ohhh! I'm practically dying with suspense... R&R PLEASE!!!


	2. I Dance With Death

Sometimes I wish I was Rylin…

* * * * * * * * * *

The cold dead eyes glared at me, and I snarled right back. The brick wall was hard against my back, and that meant no escape.

Too bad for him.

I drew Aryryn, anxious to finish the monster off. My sword gleamed in the dim light, and I saw the fear flickering in the monster's eyes. Its claws clicking against the pavement, it tried to decide what it wanted more-life or to fill its empty stomach. Finally the glazed look was replaced by a cunning glint in its eye, the resolve.

To kill me.

I waved at it eagerly. "Come and get it, butthead."

It snorted angrily, steam pouring out its nostrils. It charged me, throwing up its horns at my face. I jumped, pushing my legs against the wall in an inhuman leap over its head, the tip of the right horn scratching a thin line down my arm. It skidded to a stop, but not before I had shoved its butt.

He ended up with his head under a couple tons of bricks.

Mist seeped up out of the body, collecting in a whirlwind around me. The body dissipated, and I was left staring at an empty alley.

I glanced down at the scratch on my arm. It was only a faint pink line, thanks to the demigod side of me. I sheathed Aryryn, and examined the collapsed wall with a trace of proud accomplishment.

I took a deep breath. "You can come out now, guys."

A couple of kids scurried out from behind a dumpster. In the lead was a blonde boy with sparkling, mischievous blue eyes. A girl with dark hair and another boy followed, an exact replica of the older boy.

"What's your names?" I asked quietly.

"I'm Max, that's Alyssa and Ben." The older boy said. I looked him full in the eyes, examining the soul inside. His aura shone like a beacon, and I finally understood why monsters stalked him so relentlessly. He was a son of Zeus, the only one I had ever seen.

The younger boy's face was shining with innocence, and I glanced quickly into his aura, surprised at the pureness of it all. His eyes watched me almost gently. He could only be another son of Zeus.

The girl he had called Alyssa looked at me, and I almost winced at the darkness swirling in her aura. She looked to be about seven years old, but she was full of ancient power. One of her pitch black eyes winked at me.

"You're a daughter of Hades," I murmured.

"So?" I heard the challenging note in her voice. Max turned his head and met her eyes.

"She saved us, Lyss. You could be a little nicer."

She laughed, her voice trilling bitterly. "I have a long memory, Max."

"They aren't your memories, but your father's. You have nothing to fear from me." I said solemnly.

"So you say," Alyssa replied.

"It's true, Lyss. She's telling the truth," Ben spoke up for the first time. His voice was like pealing bells, and his eyes were linked to mine. I felt completely insignificant.

"If you say so, Ben." she said, looking bored.

"We've told you our names; now what's yours?" Max asked.

"Rylin. But I'm known as Ryley." Alyssa nodded appreciatively. Ben and Max looked at each other.

"Nice to meet you, Ryley." Max said secretively. "You'll join us, right? We need-"

"Of course," I interrupted.

We turned to the mouth of the alley, and I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched.

Of course, to my eight-year-old mind, I didn't realize the significance of what had just happened, and the impact it would have on the fate of the world. I didn't think of the power that we had, or how really poorly we were defended.

_It's my turn to protect you._

* * * * * * * * * *

Flashback time! If you R&R you can be my best friend...


	3. An Old Lady Tells Me My Future

I know it took a while to set up this chapter, but hey, I did do it after a while. So thanks to all those people sticking with me and my story.

P.S. I don't own Rick Riordan's Olympian series, but I do own Ryley, Max, Ben, Alyssa, Aryryn and everything else that isn't in the books :P

Enjoy!

* * * * * * * * * *

I woke up from the dream shivering and completely panicked.

Okay, first thing was the adrenaline pumping through my veins. It could only be a monster, most likely one that was following Max's aura. We got into tons of trouble due to that, and it was unbelievable how many times I'd had to dig us out of trouble.

But it wasn't only that. It was the fact that I'd dreamed of the night I'd met Max, Ben, and Alyssa. Back when we were all innocent and cute. All of us were fifteen now, and completely in tune with our demigod powers. I couldn't shake the feeling of dread stealing over me.

"Ben, wake up," I hissed as I rolled over in the utter darkness.

"Wha?" he said sleepily.

"It's a monster. Wake Lyss and Max." I heard the sleeping bag crackle as he pushed himself up. The dread feeling was growing in the pit of my stomach.

That's when I heard the cry.

"Max!" Alyssa yelled.

Wonderful. We had been discovered.

I launched myself up out of my sleeping bag. Aryryn was already cool against my skin, and I hefted the strap up over my back and drew it.

The giant looked down at me, squinting its tiny, beady eyes. It gripped an unconscious Max in one hand, and a struggling Lyss in the other. Ben stood behind it, electricity gathering around his sword.

Aryryn reacted, its blade glowing with light. I brought it down on the monster's arm, slicing it off. Max fell at my feet, still unconscious. I closed my eyes, imagining a flickering flame in my mind.

Fire raced up the giant's side, causing it to bellow in pain. Ben swung at it from behind, and I relaxed as the body dissipated into dust. Lyss landed hard on her back as the hand dropped her.

I leaned over Max, examining him. His eyes were closed.

"Is Max okay?" Lyss was demanding as Ben looked her over for injuries. "He better be."

"We'll see," Ben answered, his worried eyes rising to meet mine.

I looked back down at Max, my eyebrows coming down over my eyes in a v. His aura was gone.

"Max…?" I asked, hoping with all my heart.

No answer.

"No. No no no no no…" I whispered frantically. "Don't die on me, Max."

A cold stare pierced through my back.

"This is all your fault, Ryley. If you had been faster…" Alyssa said icily.

I was still in shock when I felt the ground disappear beneath me. Aryryn slipped through my hand as I fell through the air.

"Stop, Alyssa!" Ben cried. That brought me out of shock real quick.

"If you want a fight," I said quietly, "You'll get one." I closed my eyes and concentrated, focusing on the earth. It responded to me, and I found myself back on the surface, standing right behind Alyssa.

"Hello," I said slyly.

She spun around, astonishment mixed with hatred. Ben was trying to get between us, and though I appreciated his efforts, this was only between Lyss and me.

"You honestly think I told you the truth when I met you?" I asked incredulously.

"You LIED? You never seemed that clever," Alyssa said, baiting me.

"You don't know anything about me," I snarled. I felt a weight on my back; Aryryn had come back to me. I saw real fear in Lyss's eyes.

"I'm a daughter of Hades," she growled at me. "No one is more powerful than that. No demigod is stronger than me!"

I jumped back as she swung her sword at me, feeling the sting that came off the blade. She hadn't even touched me, and still I felt as though she had just cut me.

"Are you ready to die, Ryley? I'll use your life to trade for Max's. My father told me how much your soul is worth; you've escaped death lots of times, right?"

I ignored her as I concentrated on the wind. It roared as it slammed into Alyssa, blowing her back a couple feet.

But not before she had gotten a swing at me.

I felt blood trickling down over my right eye. If I wiped it away it would just come back, and my healing ability wouldn't work if I was still bleeding.

"STOP!" Ben yelled, his voice not carrying over the wind. I doubted Alyssa would hear; she was too immersed in trying to kill me.

"Ben, stay out of this!" I yelled back.

He answered, but my instincts had taken over, so it really didn't matter. Lyss was not the first person to try to kill me and collect the bounty on my soul, nor would she be the last. But unfortunately this time I had let myself get attached, had begun to even trust.

And that's a big mistake when you've survived a couple hundred years and are trying to survive a couple more.

"Who…is…your…god…parent?" Alyssa hissed as she tried to get to me. The wind was pressing against her as I tried to keep her away from me. But she was still gaining ground despite my efforts.

"Like I'll tell you!" My feelings were beginning to show through my words, and it was only my iron will that held it in check.

"Poseidon, help me," I whispered.

_Very well._

Water swirled around my head, mixing with the wind and creating a hurricane.

Part of the prophecy came back to me.

_The sea god gives his consent._

This didn't have anything to do with Alyssa, did it? I was pretty sure Kronos was part of the prophecy, as well as something about the Big Three. But I'd only ever heard the first verse; only the Oracle knew the rest.

That meant I'd have to find her. Great.

But first, I had to take care of Alyssa.

And apparently take on her mini skeleton army. I'd forgotten all about the Hades policy, never fight your battles alone when you can have long dead warriors fight them for you. I wish Pan had some cool policy like that, but unfortunately we don't.

The ground responded as I cried out to it. All living creatures within a mile dashed to my side, and I felt a whole lot better when I saw that it included a Hellhound and a Pegasus. I nodded politely to the Hellhound, surprised when he snarled at Alyssa. Hades had always had a pact with the Hellhounds, and it hit me hard when I saw that they would rather stand by Pan than Hades.

I met Alyssa's eyes.

She was furious, her pitch black eyes glaring at me. I briefly remembered the fatal flaw of Hades, holding grudges.

I knew my fatal flaw as well.

My father had told me that it was compassion. When I was young I had no idea what compassion was. And my father was no longer around to tell me the real flaw of Pan. And whose fault was that? It was the fault of those stupid Olympians.

Wait. My father hadn't been dead back then.

* * * * * * * * * *

That terrible night has been etched into my memory from the very beginning. My beginning, when I was only fifteen, not centuries old. And my final memory of Lyss bit deep into my heart, because I had cared for her so much. I had let myself fall into a trap, and that was what Hades had wanted all along.

I opened my eyes, glad to finally be rid of the memory.

I scanned the park, searching for any radiating icy waves. There were none; the park was safe, for now anyway.

I considered what I had been thinking about the night I had faced Lyss. I was wondering where to find the Oracle. And that was my mission now. I knew where to find her NOW, but there was a huge problem.

She was at Camp Halfblood.

And I was a hundred percent sure that the gods would not appreciate me messing with their children's camp. Their hatred of me would be able to overpower their conscience, and they would try to scour me from the earth just like they had my father. They had let him die, and they would eagerly watch my death as well.

Not exactly appealing. The only god who didn't completely hate me was Poseidon, but he had owed my father his life on several occasions. I doubted he ever wanted to mess with us again.

I sighed.

"What's wrong?" A voice asked me. I jumped and instinctively reached for Aryryn, but I stopped just in time. Who knew what the Mist would show?

I opened my eyes again.

A girl with reddish hair and a bright grin was looking at me as she settled down on the bench next to me. I smiled back, but it didn't reach my eyes.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

The girl looked up at the stars, and nodded. "Me too."

An awkward silence followed. Then the weirdest thing happened.

The girl turned to look at me, and their was no evidence of the girl I had met five seconds earlier. The eyes were old and ancient.

I jumped up and was just pulling Aryryn out when she spoke.

"Sit down, Rylin. I hear you were looking for me."

"Oracle?" I whispered, half expecting this to be a joke.

That hope died out when she nodded solemnly, her eyes watching me. They were old and lifeless, but they weren't the same color they had been seconds ago. They had turned from green to pitch black.

"Um…yeah, I was looking for you."

"To ask me for the rest of the prophecy." There was no use in asking her how she knew. I had long ago figured out that people who were 15 times as old as you never revealed their secrets. I suppose that's where magicians got the saying from.

I nodded. "Could you tell me?"

Instead of answering, her voice went monotone.

_Four demigods shall go,_

_Onto death's row, _

_One by one_

_They will fall_

_Till there's only one left._

That part had already happened. I was the only one left. But not of four; I didn't understand that.

_The ancient lord of time's power shall grow,_

_And then he will know._

Know. Know what?

_The sea god gives his consent,_

_To the very one broken and bent_

_The King's daughter shall rise._

_To be despised._

Oh, that part was so lovely. Broken and bent, AND despised?

The Oracle raised a finger. "Beware of the gods," she warned. "They don't like to be overshadowed."

"Tell me something I don't know," I muttered.

"I'm not done."

_Death reversed,_

_Enemies turned allies,_

_Allies turned enemies,_

_Everything is not is as it should be._

"I added that last part; do you like it?'

"You should stick to the visions, old lady."

She studied me. "I hope that attitude gets you killed, demigod. I came here to help you."

"I suppose I should thank you, then."

She huffed at me, her pitch black eyes practically melting right through me.

"Don't underestimate yourself, Rylin. When the time comes, you'll know."

I was already opening my mouth to utter a confused "Huh?" when she suddenly shook her head, the eyes flashing back to green. Like she had just woken up or something.

"Sorry; were you saying something?" The girl asked, blinking her eyes a few times.

"Yeah," I lied. "What's your name?"

"Rachel Dare. Yours?"

I looked at her, and I mean really looked. She seemed nice and all, and she was the Oracle. But something was blocking me from her aura, and I felt that although she wasn't a demigod or anything like that, she could sense what I was. Call me crazy, but I'm just paranoid like that.

So I said "Rylin Becker."

I gave myself a mental kick to the shin.

Rachel tipped her head. "Rylin?" She said it like it was an exotic or foreign word, like she was uncomfortable with the feeling of it on her tongue.

"I'm usually just plain old Ryley."

"Oh. Nice to meet you, Ryley."

"You too." We sat in silence, gazing up at the clear night. I thought of Lyss, and my deep instinct that she wasn't even close to being dead. Would I consider her an enemy? She probably thought I was hers, since she blamed me for Max's death.

But I still wished her well, wherever she was. Inside myself I knew I would never really let go of our friendship. But if she tried to kill me again, I didn't know what I'd do.

"So," Rachel commented quietly. "What are you doing in New York City?"

"Looking for someone," I replied, trying to keep my voice light. To be honest, I didn't even know what I was standing here talking to her for. I had gotten what I wanted to know from the Oracle, and right now I should have been trying to get away from New York City.

New York City was the Olympian's base of operations, as Mount Olympus was floating right above Manhattan on top of the Empire State Building. I was positive they weren't happy that I was right below them. Right where Zeus could zap me with a bolt of lightning and end my struggle in a second.

But something about Rachel held me there. And I found out soon enough what it was.

I heard light footsteps on the sidewalk, and I tensed, biting my lip. My hand strayed unconsciously to Aryryn.

"Rachel?" A voice called quietly as a shadow came into view. "Percy wants to-"

The person stopped as soon as she saw me. Yeah, I knew it was a girl. Her voice just had that ring to it.

"Who's this?" she asked as she came into view. And my heart sank even more.

She was a Hunter.

Her dark hair hung just above the shoulder, right at her throat. A heavy looking necklace hung there, sparkling in the light of the stars. Her eyes were dark blue, and they gazed at me with such interest that I almost ran away right then and there. A bow was slung over her left shoulder, along with a quiver loaded with arrows.

I flinched, drawing my gaze to the ground. Clearly Zeus thought his daughter Artemis could take care of me.

Even Rachel sensed the tense atmosphere. Her hand fluttered near her hair as she pretended to fuss with it. I turned my attention from her to the Hunter. I gazed levelly back at her questioning blue eyes.

"This is Ryley." Rachel finally said. She finally looked up, and she seemed to be trying to send the Hunter a signal with her eyes.

I gripped the armrest of the bench as I stood up. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. It was nice meeting you."

The Hunter was suddenly there, blocking my way.

I was saved from saying anything by the sudden movement of the earth. It rocked under my feet, and I instinctively slowed it down. It was as if something had landed in the park.

The icy waves radiated over me. It was as if the things in my life couldn't get any worse.

I restrained myself, and it took almost everything I had.

The monster thudded onto the path, and I saw its beady eyes lock on me. The Hunter stepped in front of me, and I'm sure I saw the strange look she gave me. Rachel was looking at me frantically, and I suddenly realized that they both thought I was mortal. They thought I couldn't see the monster standing in front of me, that all I was seeing was something the Mist had distorted into something that passed as normal. I almost laughed.

The Hunter quickly drew an arrow, and set the shaft along her bow, releasing it instantly. It was a beautiful shot, darting directly at the heart of her target. Suddenly the monster raised its hairy paw and crushed the arrow into the ground.

Well that just confirmed my fears that it wasn't an ordinary monster. And it wanted me, at the very moment when I wouldn't let myself fight back.

I felt Rachel grab my arm and pull me back.

"Let go," I hissed, and I felt her recoil as if I had bitten her.

I tried to push myself in front of the Hunter. That was where I belonged. And I could feel my hold on my instincts slipping. Aryryn was pushing me as well. It longed for battle, and I could feel my heart longing along with it. I couldn't just sit and do nothing, no matter how much I wanted to hide who I was.

I ran out from behind Artemis's Hunter, launching myself down the path in the direction of the monster.

"Ryley!" Rachel yelled after me. "Come back!"

"Get back here!" the Hunter growled.

I ignored them.

"Come and get it, butthead." I murmured, locking my eyes on its angry ones. I recalled the first time I had said that to a monster. It was the battle I had fought and won for Max, Alyssa, and Ben. The memory brought back with it a rush of adrenaline. I grinned manically at the monster as it advanced on me.

The Hunter had apparently given up on me as a lost cause; a fletched silver arrow flew over my head. The monster, its instincts going crazy at the very scent of me, didn't notice as the arrow sank itself deep in its forehead. It kept dragging itself toward me down the path, disintegrating as it went. When it finally reached me it was nothing but a wisp of dust on the wind.

I blew lightly on the cloud of dust, and the particles scattered. 'Thanks for the memories," I whispered.

I turned around to see the Hunter and Rachel staring at me.

"You have the sight?" The Hunter asked, ready to block me should I try to escape.

"I guess you could say that."

Rachel suddenly turned her gaze on the Hunter. "Thalia, I think she saw me have a vision. I blacked out for a moment and woke up with her looking at me thoughtfully."

Thalia turned to me. "We'll ask Percy about what to do. You-" she directed at me "are coming with us."

I almost groaned. Why did my powers have to act up? Aryryn, I thought. The sword stirred up the fight in me. Making me think it was me who wanted the fight. But why I couldn't say; Aryryn was one of the most powerful relics left over from the Olympian's days of glory. That was the only explanation.

Thalia grabbed my arm in a grip like iron. I glared at her, the fury in my blue eyes burning. Rachel walked at my side.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't know that-"

"Like it's something I would advertise in the newspaper," I grumbled. "Hey, guess what everybody? I see weird monsters that nobody else can see! There's nothing creepy at all about that, is there?"

She fell silent, and I instantly regretted snapping at her. She was only trying to help.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," I muttered back to her. My eyes were roving over the landscape, memorizing every tree and hill that we passed. I needed to know where I was going if I was going to escape.

"Do you know the story behind the monsters?" Rachel asked me, her eyes lighting up.

"Rachel, she doesn't need to know any of that." Thalia growled, and I swore she gripped my arm even harder. "She's only mortal."

"Well so am I!" Rachel protested.

"Not anymore. You're the Oracle; act like it."

Rachel slumped into a stewing silence, and I scrabbled my feet against the path, already feeling like a prisoner.

Finally I saw something. A tent rose out of the darkness, pitched under the dark shade of a tree. It barely caught my eye. I was surprised. Didn't Artemis have too many Hunters to fit in one tent?

"Percy!" Thalia called loudly. Her nails dug into my arm, and I squirmed.

A guy came out of the tent, and Thalia released me. I instantly hid the cuts on my arm, for once not proud of my accelerated healing rate.

Green eyes examined me carefully, like I was something being put on show. I glared back, one of the many reasons being that I had been dragged here against my will, and the fact that Zeus could kill me at any second. Where was Artemis? Couldn't she just kill me already?

That was about when I remembered that Artemis refused to travel with boys, or even accept them.

So Thalia wasn't taking me to Artemis?

I looked at the kid named Percy. He had dark brown hair, the kind that could be considered chocolate if one was in a positive enough mood. His arms were crossed, and I could see how well muscled he was. No escape option there; he would tackle me before I took a single step.

A second guy came out of the tent, and I immediately noticed the similarities between him and Lyss. The black hair, the brooding black eyes. And a dark aura.

"What'd you bring back now, Thalia? We ask you to get take out and this is what you got?" The black haired kid said, a small smile on his lips.

"I didn't have time for Chinese, Nico. This girl was being attacked by a monster."

"So why did you bring her back?" Percy asked sensibly. I immediately eyed him, because I felt uncomfortable with his pleasant manner. Something was coming.

"She could see it."

"And?"

"She saw Rachel spout a prophecy."

Rachel glanced quickly in my direction. I could tell by the tip of her head that she wasn't happy with what was going on.

"Her name is Ryley, and she's standing right there." Rachel said angrily. "Ask her how she feels."

All their eyes were instantly on me.

"Well?" Percy asked.

I really wished Rachel hadn't told Thalia about the prophecy; there was no way I could cover that up.

"I feel like I just want to go home," I sighed, drawing out my breath. "And get away from all gods until I'm sure they won't zap me with lightning."

Thalia and Rachel looked at me in amazement.

"And as for you," I said, turning toward Thalia, unable to just stop my thoughts "Don't just assume I'm nothing, because that nothing turns into something awful quick."

She gaped at me, and I smiled sweetly.

"That's what I think." I said to Percy. "Aren't you glad you asked?"

Silence. Then, "Are you working for Kronos?"

I stared icily back at him. "Like I'd work with that murdering-"

"Okay, okay." Percy held up his hands and I stopped, finally glad I had gotten my point across.

"Are you a demigod?" Nico asked, his pitch black eyes looking coolly at me. Up close, he was actually kind of hot.

I bit my lip as I considered my options. I couldn't afford to tell anyone who I was.

"No," I said. "But you are." I looked at him with one eye closed. "Hades, I'd say."

I saw the glance that passed between the three of them, the Hunter, the Son of the Dead, and Percy.

Rachel was looking at me, smiling.

"Thanks, Rachel." I whispered, grinning back.

"All in a day's work," she laughed, winking at me. I laughed along with her. She was just so easy going. I was glad she was here with me.

Then it hit me.

The prophecy mentioned the Big Three. If one of them was here, what did that make the other two?

They had to be the children of Zeus and Poseidon.

"Look," I said, breaking up the demigods' conversation. "I'm done here. I just want to go home."

Percy eyed me. "The Quest mentions a fifth."

"Yeah, so?" Nico replied spitefully. "She's mortal."

Thalia was glaring at me.

Suddenly I found myself longing for a battle, a quest like the old days.

"I don't have a home to go to," I found myself saying. "I live on the streets."

"No family?" Rachel asked sadly.

"No."

"Then will you join us?" Percy inquired politely. With Nico and Thalia groaning in the background, I nodded. And Aryryn felt lighter on my back, sending jolts through my system. At last.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd finally be able to find Lyss.

_Things are finally looking up._

_* * * * * * * * * *  
_

Sorry about all the confusion in this chapter- R&R and tell me what you think!


	4. I Lose My Oracle

The prophecy in the last chapter? Forget about it. It wasn't really important…or maybe it was. MUAHAHAHA!!!

As always, please R&R!

* * * * * * * * * *

"So," I said. "What's this quest even about?"

"Well," Rachel said from the tree, "There supposedly is this all powerful sword or something that we need to find. It's said to be the only weapon that will truly kill Kronos."

"And we're supposed to be looking for it?"

"Yep." She giggled to herself as she gripped the branch and climbed even higher. She looked down at me, her eyes bright under her ruffled hair.

"Be careful," I insisted when I saw her hand slip.

"I will."

"What are you even doing up there?" I asked, slightly confused.

"I always think better under the sky," she said dreamily. "The wind rushing through my hair, the birdsong. It's incredible. I think the Oracle likes it."

"So it helps you think. You think you might find out where it is if you sit up there forever?" I was appalled at the idea that Rachel might have to become a squirrel.

"Maybe." She sounded distracted.

A sleepy feeling stole over me, and I sank to the ground in exhaustion.

"Gotcha," a voice whispered in my ear.

* * * * * * * ** *

The drachma felt weighted in his hand. There was only one way he was going to figure out who this Ryley was, and that was to ask.

Surely she wouldn't get mad because he hadn't talked to her in weeks?

Finally he decided.

The drachma soared through the air, disappearing with a loud pop.

"Camp Halfblood, please. Annabeth Chase."

The vision shimmered before him as Isis granted his request. Suddenly there was a girl in front of him, leaning over a table. Her blonde hair shimmered as she lifted her head.

"Percy?" she whispered, her grey eyes lighting up.

"Hey Annabeth." He grinned.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth asked in a whisper, looking around the room wildly. "You know what Chiron said!"

"I found Nico and Thalia. And we're doing the quest."

"No!" Annabeth hissed. "You can't! Rach-the Oracle said one of you would-"

"I know. But we still have to do it. Trust me, Annabeth. Please."

Finally she nodded, visibly shivering. Percy wished he was there to comfort her. She looked so sad, leaning over the laptop Daedulus had given her. Which reminded him of the reason he had called.

"Annabeth, can you look something up for me?"

"Sure." She sounded confused. "What?"

"Look in the files." Percy gave her a huge wink.

"Oh. Alright."

"Look up Ryley."

He watched her slim fingers skim over the keyboard, her fingers slipping on the ys and the e. She was still upset, and there was no way he could help her being as far away as he was. He couldn't reassure her that he wouldn't be the one, because he had no way of knowing. It would break her heart if he were wrong.

"There's nothing on Ryley, but there is one Rylin."

"Click it." She did.

"Whoa. Whoever this girl is, she sure is mysterious. There isn't much on her."

"And?"

"It says here she's a halfblood, but her parents were unknown."

"Were?"

"Yeah. She died in the last war with the Titans."

"You're right. That long ago?" Percy felt disappointed. It meant that Ryley was exactly who she said she was, a mortal with the power to see through the Mist.

"Yep. It also says here that she was known for picking a fight with Kronos, but he never was able to kill her."

"You're joking, right?" He remembered the time he had fought Kronos; the Titan had been so powerful and he was almost killed.

"Well I doubt Daedulus or Chiron would be wrong. They were the ones who uploaded all this info."

Percy agreed. "How did Rylin die, then?"

"They don't know. The whole thing happened so oddly. She was seen before the battle, but not after, so they just assumed she was a casualty of war. It made sense, since she went after Kronos."

"Is that it?"

"Just about. Just one more thing. She…whoa."

"What?"

Annabeth's voice was hushed and full of awe. "Rylin was the owner of the legendary weapon you guys are looking for. She called it Aryryn, which stood for Rain in old Greek."

"That's impossible…"

"And there was a prophecy about her, and it's so old the only one who would remember would be the Oracle. If I were you I'd ask Rachel about that. It could hold the key to finding Aryryn."

"Thanks, Annabeth."

"No problem, Percy. And…please come back alive." Her eyes were wide and earnest, and Percy was suddenly struck by the urge to kiss her.

He found himself saying "I will. I promise."

The window closed.

What had he done?

* * * * * * * * * *

"Ryley!" Rachel was screaming. "Ryley! Wake up!"

I felt like I had swam for hours in a deep, dark ocean and was suddenly finding that I was drowning. Rachel's cry shattered through the illusion, and I was suddenly up on my feet, my hand snatching Aryryn from its sheath.

The only problem was, I didn't know who to point my sword _at_. There were at least fifty versions of the Titan grinning at me, and I couldn't find Rachel.

Aryryn thrummed angrily, humming against my fingertips.

"I had hoped you would stay asleep longer than that, demigod. You give me no choice but to kill you myself." The whisper echoed as all of the Titans closed ranks.

"Rachel, where are you?!" I cried.

"Here," Her voice was fading.

I narrowed my eyes angrily. The earth around me rose up suddenly and I bowled over at least half of them with small boulders. I twirled my sword, beckoning the rest of them.

"Come and get it!" I yelled.

"Oh dear, Rylin. As eager as always for a fight, I see. But there is no point this time; with a wave of my finger I could put you to sleep forever." The cold voice sliced through the mist, and my knuckles tightened around Aryryn, turning them to white.

"I can't let you take Rachel," I growled.

"Rachel? Is that the Oracle's name?" His voice sounded genuinely curious, but I knew it was his way of playing with his prey before he killed them.

"Yeah. And you better let her go."

"Kronos has been dying to see you, Rylin. He absolutely misses you."

"Forget it," I breathed, knowing he would hear me. "I won't go anywhere near that creep."

"I have a proposition for you, demigod. If I release the Oracle, you must swear on the river Styx that you will return to Kronos. No harm done."

I watched the mist, and I almost felt a heartbeat nearby. It could only be Rachel's. I would never find her in this mist; the Titan would kill her before I could react.

"Very well," I sighed, my breath misting out and curling about my head. "I swear on the river Styx that I will return to Kronos, whole and unharmed, so that the Lord of Time may kill me as he wishes. That good enough for you?"

"Very much so, demigod," a voice whispered in my ear. I turned to find nobody there.

"Ryley?" Rachel's voice asked.

I looked up to see Rachel in the tree just like she had been a couple minutes earlier. Her face was confused.

"Where'd the Titan go?" I asked, my eyes widening when I found Aryryn in its sheath.

"Titan? You have such an imagination, Ryley. There's no Titan here," Rachel replied, finally reaching the top of the tree. She leaned into the breeze, the look on her face pure ectasy and bliss.

I heard a rustling in the bushes, and Nico popped out. I raised my eyebrows at him, getting a look shot back in return.

"Percy has a few questions to ask you, Rachel," he said, turning to the Oracle. She nodded solemnly, no hint of pleasure on her face now. She made a pouting face as she climbed down, nearly falling several times from high branches. I was relieved when she finally touched the ground, brushing past Nico into the bush.

I sighed. My thoughts were on Kronos once again. What reason would he want me for, besides the fact that he wanted to kill me so bad?

"How did you know Hades is my father?" Nico asked me, his hands in his pockets. He leaned against the tree, a serious look on his face.

"I've met a kid of Hades before," I said carefully, then realized that he would wonder how. I was supposed to be only 15 years old. If Nico knew he was the only one to be born in the last century (which he was) then I would wind up in trouble.

But instead he was looking at me in shock. His dark eyes were wide, and I found myself looking into them longer than I would have liked.

"You knew Bianca? How…?" Nico was grappling with his thoughts. Unknowingly he'd just given me a way out. But who was Bianca…?

"Yeah, I did," I lied, knowing he would unconsciously give me more space to back into. Being alive for more than one century gave me excellent insights into how people act. It also allowed me to sense others' emotion, like I was doing with Nico right now.

"You knew my sister?" He seemed unaware that I had already answered him, his mind completely immersed in old memories. So Bianca was his sister. But how could that be possible? I would have known about it, unless she had become immortal somehow, like me. I instinctively knew when demigods were born, and I saw them as small flickers of fire in my mind. But there was a drawback- I could only see the flames if they were reasonably close, like within five miles or so. The stronger the immortal parent, the bigger the flame. I had already seen Nico's flame in my mind, and reasoned that I had never seen any like it. Even Lyss's fire had been different.

"Yeah," I repeated gently. I felt bad for the kid.

Nico's eyes closed as he sagged against the tree. I winced as I felt the emotions filling the air, pain being one of the most clogging. I waited patiently, knowing he would never accept my help.

Finally his eyes opened again, looking straight at me. They looked right through me, seeing everything I was ashamed of, laying out all my secrets. We stared at each other for what seemed like forever, in silence as his eyes examined me.

"Let's get back to camp," Nico said tiredly, closing his eyes as he beckoned toward the bush for me to go first.

His voice made it sound as if I failed something I should have passed.

* * * * * * * * * *

"I can't believe it!" Percy burst out, pacing back and forth across the tent floor. "She refused to tell me anything about the prophecy!"

"Ask again; the Oracle has never denied to give a prophecy before." Thalia said comfortingly. "Listen, Percy. You're obsessing over nothing."

"But she told me she'd only say it to the right person! And I can guess who that was," Percy added darkly, stopping in front of the Hunter.

"Ryley." Thalia said, her voice a collage of emotions. "But you seriously think it has something to do with Aryryn?"

"It has everything to do with Aryryn! The prophecy was about Rylin, who owned the sword at one time. Maybe it'll tell us where it is," Percy commented hopefully.

"I hope the Oracle doesn't tell us," Thalia said, grinning wickedly. "I still owe Ryley for what she said to me yesterday."

"Just don't hurt her permanently," Percy ordered. "We still need her."

"Oh, I won't." Thalia said with a secretive gleam in her eyes.

_Revenge is ever so sweet._

* * * * * * * * * *

I said it once, I'm gonna say it again. MUAHAHAHA! I've never really liked Thalia, and apparently neither does Rylin! If you like Thalia, try to convince me by reviewing and telling me why the heck I should like her. Maybe I'll change my mind.


	5. I Decide To Get The Heck Out Of There

Sorry for taking so long to update. I just wasn't sure if this was the way I wanted Falling Star to go. But it's perfect :)

Disclaimer: Percy Jackson and the Olympians ISN'T mine. But I wish it was.

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I didn't like the way they were eyeing me. Percy had a serious look in his green eyes, and Thalia was busy looking at my arms and legs like she was planning what to amputate first. Nico's eyes were unsure, looking up and around the tent, but never directly at me. Rachel was the only one who met my eyes, but what I saw there didn't reassure me. She was frozen in guilt, leaning back against the center pole like she blamed herself. And she was looking at me in pity.

I refused to look frightened. I glared fiercely at Thalia, tucking my legs up under me as I sat down on Nico's sleeping bag. Aryryn hummed, and I suddenly realized what this was about. They wanted to know about the prophecy. The one they hoped would help find Aryryn, the one the Oracle had recounted to me just yesterday. The one that they had no business sticking their noses into.

Well, I wasn't gonna give in without a fight.

Percy cleared his throat. I rested my eyes on him first, and as I studied the green eyes I knew who he reminded me of. Poseidon, his father.

That meant Thalia was Zeus's daughter. Oops.

"The Oracle told you a prophecy the other day. We need to hear it. Do you remember it?" Percy asked.

I looked at him, almost reluctant to answer. But it was what they wanted to hear. "Yes."

"Will you tell us?"

My gaze flitted around the room, landing on each person. I took a deep breath.

"The prophecy is not for your ears, demigod." An ancient voice interrupted me. I turned my head toward Rachel, astonished to see the Oracle's black eyes looking back at me. "It is only for whom it concerns."

"Are you actually saying Ryley is involved?" Thalia broke in.

"Believe it or not, prophecies have included mortals before, child. Adriane was an excellent example." The Oracle murmured. She winked secretively at me. She was actually going along with me!

"So if you're not going to tell us, then I guess we'll get it from Ryley, won't we?" Thalia turned to look at me. Everyone followed her gaze.

"I'll give you one chance. What is the prophecy?"

The Oracle was looking through me, her lips moving quickly. I couldn't hear the words through the pounding in my head.

"I won't tell you. You can't just stick your nose in other people's business. The prophecy isn't yours." I replied, surprised to find that my head was clear, that my voice was strong. "And no amount of torture will make me say it."

"Is that so?" Thalia said, and I was disgusted to hear the excitement in her voice. I looked over at Percy, but I knew the prophecy was too important for him to have any qualms with Thalia hurting me now. It looked like I was gonna have to stick this one out on my own.

Thalia stepped toward me, and I distinctly heard the Oracle hiss angrily.

"You will pay for this, daughter of Zeus." she said under her breath, and then Rachel woke up. The Oracle had left me to fend for myself with only a wimpy curse for back up. Great.

I could see the electricity gathering around Thalia's finger.

My body relaxed as I sank into a crouch and grasped Aryryn's handle. Rachel was still sleepy, mumbling to herself under her breath. I was glad she wasn't awake enough to see this.

Suddenly someone brushed past me to stand in front of Thalia, blocking my view of her. But she looked angry.

"Nico," Percy gritted his teeth. "What are you doing?"

"This I wannna hear," Thalia growled. I couldn't see her around Nico, but she sounded murderous.

Why would he risk all that to save my neck? Did he know who I really was? I winced at the thought. But I remembered that long look we had shared in the forest. He knew something about me, but it wasn't that.

"I don't have to explain myself to you." Nico snarled right back. There was a creak behind me, and I turned to look. To my surprise, Rachel stepped past me to stand next to Nico, her eyes glaring at the other two demigods.

"Leave Ryley alone. Percy, what happened to you? I thought you protected mortals, but I guess I was wrong." Rachel said, her voice bordering between venomous and icy.

"That prophecy is worth too much! It's either her life or millions of lives!" Percy snapped, and I winced.

If only I could tell them.

Why couldn't I?

"I won't tell you the prophecy," I said slowly, "but I will tell you that it doesn't reference to Aryryn." I shifted on the sleeping bag uncomfortably.

"And what would you know about that?" Thalia said scathingly. Nico turned to look at me, his eyes unreadable.

"Because," I took a deep breath, "I know where it is." Slowly I raised my hand to my back and lifted the sheath's strap off my shoulder. I willed it to reveal itself, and Aryryn faded back into existence, shimmering and glowing. It cast a light of its own, the light dancing around my head.

"That's Aryryn?" Rachel gasped. "It's beautiful!"

She was the only one who looked pleased. Nico's gaze was burning into me so hard that I almost felt like melting. Thalia looked utterly broken, like she didn't understand how she could have been so wrong about me.

Percy I hated the most. He had his hand out, like he was expecting me to give up Aryryn. I glared at him, grasping Aryryn tightly in my hand and holding it close to my heart.

"Give it to me."

"Yeah right."

"You lied to us. This is OUR quest, so Aryryn is OURS." Percy was very close to shouting, and I didn't think he was that far from using his demigod powers on me.

"You don't choose it! It chooses you!" I found myself yelling. "And it chose me! Not some snotty demigod. Me."

"That's impossible…" His eyes were widening, his mouth dropping open to show perfect teeth.

"Aryryn is special," I whispered softly. "It chose me long ago, long before any of you were born. It chose me over the Lord of Time. And once he kills me, he'll take it back and it'll be the end of the world."

"Rylin, no," Rachel whimpered. "Don't."

"Rylin?" Percy said. "You're her." His voice cracked.

"I was born Rylin Becker, and over the years my name hasn't changed much. How do you know who I am?"

"I knew it," Nico murmured, his voice dead quiet. "I saw it in you that day in the forest. You're a demigod." I met his accusing gaze gently, and some feeling stirred in my heart. I forced it down, because I wasn't familiar with it.

"Yes. I'm sorry, Nico. But I couldn't tell anyone. As soon as Kronos knows, he'll come after me." I stood up. I had to leave NOW. "I can't drag you guys into this with me. It's too dangerous."

I also had to ensure that the world would survive after I died. There was only one way to do that, and as much as I hated the idea, it was something that had to be done.

I had to go into the Underworld.

I took a few steps outside, and felt rain soak into my hair. I looked up at the sky, fogged up by clouds streaking their way across the expanse.

"Wait," someone said behind me.

I spun around and saw everyone looking at me, Percy in front.

"We saw your file. But it never said who your parents were." he said, his eyes locked on mine.

"My father was Pan," I breathed. The rain fell harder, spattering all over me, hiding my tears. "Lord of the Wilderness." The water streaked down my face as I turned away, trudging through the mud.

Toward Los Angeles. Toward Hades.

To the Underworld.

* * * * * * * * * *

Apologies to you, ausumist. I know you wanted to see Ryley beat the crap out of Thalia. I do too, and it might happen later... *mysterious smile*

Anyways, why don't you click that lovely button down there and REVIEW?


	6. I Take A Trip Down Memory Lane

Everything is positively amazing today. It's like a drunk a whole cauldron of Felix's lucky potion. Everything is going my way today...

Disclaimer: The only thing in this story I own is RYLIN. I know she's so awesome, so just deal with it :P You can't use her. Jk! (But she's still mine. No using her in your story!)

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I adjusted Aryryn carefully over my shoulder as I took a deep breath. So much for their quest; it had been ended before it had officially started. The sensible thing for them to do now would be to run back to their little summer camp and stay there while I did what I could, all that I could do under the circumstances.

Though I had told myself never to trust anybody ever again, not after what Lyss had done to me, I just knew instinctively that putting the whole thing in Max's hands would be enough. He was the best fighter I had ever seen, and was more than a match for Kronos. His only fatal mistake had been to protect Lyss.

Up ahead I could see lights. I walked steadily toward them, the only sign of my nervousness showing in the slight tremble of my hand. Hopefully there would be some type of transportation I could use there.

It was a gas station.

Just typical. Seriously. One of the things I've always hated is when you're looking for something, and you find the exact opposite of what you need. For instance, right now I was fuming because I needed a car, not on the road snacks or lattes that make you want to throw up. And then the silver Mercedes caught my eye.

Now I've never really liked to steal from mortals, but this was an extreme emergency and I needed something fast. Plus I liked the cool paint job.

Five minutes later I was zooming down the highway, singing along with Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift.

I finally was able to relax, just be myself. This was how I liked it, being a loner, taking care of only one person; me. Just lying low, hoping the monsters would pass me over. Sure, the occasional giant would find me and attempt to devour my soul, but it really wasn't a problem. Since I learned to cloak my demigod waves centuries ago, I could meander about the country and do whatever the heck I wanted. No interference from gods, no running into monsters.

Until the past month, anyway. That had just been bad luck, sort of. The fact that I ran into the Oracle in one of the many parks in New York, the fact that she had been traveling with the three most powerful demigods of the century, well, there was nothing abnormal about that…

Somebody seemed to be taking an interest in my life.

Somebody was sticking their nose all up in my business. There was no way that monster could have known who I really was, unless it had intentionally shown up. And Thalia had immediately grabbed me and demanded that I be taken to Percy, because of the monster. Something wanted me to admit who I was. Now that I was back, I was the only real obstacle in Kronos' plan to take over the world. So I was his first target.

I remembered how he had sent Kampe after me; how he had failed to completely kill me.

How could he have known who I was?

I bit my lip as I suddenly noticed how dark the sky was. Night was coming faster than I had anticipated.

I reluctantly pulled over and rested my head against the headrest, exhaustion overwhelming me. My eyes closed as I fell into a deep sleep.

I didn't notice the Hellhound outside my window, blending perfectly in with the shadows.

It shifted its paws in anticipation.

"Not yet, Mrs. O'Leary," A voice whispered to it. The Hellhound stopped moving. It placed its paws over its muzzle, sighing as it watched the demigod in the front seat. "Not yet."

The hound whined in protest, then settled down on its stomach in its best watchdog position. It was going to be a long night.

I was hyperactive in the morning, probably due to my long eleven hours of sleep. I listened closely to the radio.

"Just yesterday a silver Mercedes was stolen from a gas station in Mansfield. Listeners please be on the lookout for the stolen car. If sighted, please call 1-546-629-8713."

"You hear that?" I asked myself. "I'm on the radio!"

Unfortunately it meant I had to ditch the car.

I decided to leave it in the parking lot at Wal-Mart, where it would blend in until 9 that night. That would give me enough time to be far away. As I walked down the sidewalk I felt a tear growing in the corner of my eye.

I would miss that car.

I gradually sunk into a good mood, practically skipping down the path and humming to myself. No monsters, no gods, the sun warming my back; this was exactly like the old days. Aryryn mirrored my enthusiasm, its heartbeat pulsing gently against me, soothing me.

The land gradually turned from sprawling cities to gentle countryside, and I felt happy, totally in my element.

But they always did say that true happiness never lasts.

Icy waves burst over me, almost stopping my heartbeat and scaring me half out of my wits. A shadow appeared on the ground in front of me, and I crouched low to the ground as the monster launched itself right where my head had been.

The hellhound stood right on the road, blocking my way. It barked and wagged its tail furiously.

_What the…?_

I pulled Aryryn, and suddenly it was whimpering, pawing its nose with its gigantic paws. Its huge pleading eyes looked into mine. They were dark, like all the others I had ever seen, but they weren't the eyes of a killer.

"Don't hurt her!" Someone cried. The voice sounded vaguely familiar…

I whipped around, my eyes widening.

"I thought I told you not to follow me," I whispered sadly. "You're going to get yourself killed." I slowly slid Aryryn back into its sheath.

"You need my help," he insisted stubbornly.

I just shook my head, wincing lightly.

"Tell me you're not going to the Underworld, and I'll leave you alone."

"Nico," I sighed. I looked away, my eyes falling to the ground.

"It's true!" Nico breathed, unable to believe it. I couldn't look at him for fear of the accusation I would see in his eyes, the hurt. He really hadn't even considered that I really was going to face his father.

"Now you know. And it's too dangerous." I murmured, turning around. Mrs. O'Leary was howling, raking the pavement with her long claws. I winced again, and suddenly anger crashed over me.

Look at me now. The Rylin of old never would have been reluctant to send away help, never would have let herself trust in other people in the first place. That was a lesson I had learned the hard way, the lesson that had almost cost me my life. And the second thing; Nico was Hades' son, was he not? This could be just another complex plan for the Lord of the Dead to finally get his grimy hands on my soul.

Something inside me broke.

I had had enough running for one lifetime. If Hades wanted my soul, so be it. I would gladly give it in exchange for Max's, and take whatever punishment Hades decided to bring down on my head.

"Okay," I shrugged, not caring anymore. "You can come. It doesn't matter anyway."

He instantly noticed the change in my attitude, but wisely said nothing about it.

"Mrs. O'Leary and I can take you shadow-traveling in the morning. It's way faster than-" he paused dramatically "walking."

I didn't look at him, didn't answer. I hated the fluttering feeling in my chest at the mere mention of my quest. My life was forfeit.

I forlornly stepped forward again, and suddenly Nico was there, his black eyes flashing angrily.

"What is WITH you?!" he growled, Mrs. O'Leary adding a yelp at the end.

"It doesn't matter," I repeated dully.

"Yes it does. You're like a dead corpse for crying out loud! And I know what that looks like!" He forced me to look at him, and my eyes fired up, practically burning with my rage. "You've given up," he added softly, and I was stunned.

"No," I tried to deny it.

Nico touched my arm, and suddenly everything went blurry. I heard Mrs. O'Leary barking excitedly, her tail brushing my hand. I felt no icy waves from her now.

Suddenly everything came back into view, except we weren't in the countryside anymore.

Before me lay the jumbled, messed up city of Los Angeles, complete in its bittersweet glory. It looked just as I remembered, bright lights shining out in all directions, all the smoke fading up into the sky.

A hard rock grew in my chest as I plunged into the memory.

_"It can't wait. It must be done."_

_"As you wish, Master." The ancient voice echoed, its glory finally restored. At last its revenge would begin, starting with the death of a girl._

_It felt good to be alive again._

_* * * * * * * * * * _

_Wings exploded around me, and my head slammed into a brick wall. My grip was still tight around Aryryn, my knuckles stained with what I knew was blood. My blood._

_I stumbled up, practically whimpering in pain. Stars burst in front of my eyes, my legs trembling weakly under me. I wouldn't last another minute, let alone long enough to save what I knew was most important. I had failed. _

_Wind whipped into me, and I went down again, falling to my knees, then onto my stomach._

_"Please," I whispered. "Please. Give me the strength."_

_The ground pounded into me, and I laid there, listening to my heartbeat race. There would be no one to save me, no one to pass on the memories of Pan. I had once come from the earth, and here I was slowly seeping back into it. Life drained from me, and I could feel the slowing of my heartbeat._

_I had to fight. Why, I didn't know, but I knew it would be important that I had tried. I had to fight my instinct to just lie down and die, to erase all my pain and return to the earth. _

_I opened my eyes. _

_Aryryn was radiating, pulsing golden rays that rippled across the ground like a drop ripples a pool, shining bright light that cast a lovely warmth to my dark world. I welcomed it as I thrust out against the blanket of darkness threatening to envelope me and crush my life in its grip. Strength rushed down from Aryryn, filling me with renewed energy and fresh anger._

_The alleyway stood in front of me as I leapt to my feet, my instincts heightened and sharpened in every way possible. The earth crumbled under my every footstep, leaving small craters in the shape of footprints. I smirked at the thought of what the Mist would show to the mortals. What I wouldn't give just to know._

_Kampe was soaring high above me in a circle, her strong, leathery wings beating an irregular beat. Almost like they were uneven. My eyes roved over her scaled body, down to her head, where fire burned in the pits of her eyes. Her long, forked tongue snaked down out of her mouth as she spotted me._

_She fell into a dive, and I mean fell. Almost like she could no longer hang in the air. A rotting stench hit me, filled with the death and smell of thousands. I gripped Aryryn tightly, hugging the glowing blade to my chest._

_"Die, demigod!" she hissed._

_I swung upward, Aryryn flashing above me in an arc. Something crashed to the ground, thudding down and hitting the pavement with a wet crack. I briefly flipped my head._

_A thin, leathery wing lay there, blood pooling out the stub. Kampe had crashed to the ground a couple hundred feet away, shuddering to a stop._

_I walked the length to her head._

_Eye to eye with Kampe, I stared her down. Her flame eyes burned hatred, her very life dwindling before my own eyes. _

_"You will never stop us, demigod. Where I come from, there are many, many more. We will hunt you until the end of time!" She rasped, coughing up blood._

_ "The end of time? Very well," I murmured, raising Aryryn._

_The golden blade dropped, severing her ties and ending her life. I watched as the wind blew away her dust, scattering her to the breeze._

_Clear as day to me was the fact that I could no longer ever trust anyone ever again, anyone but myself. I had cried out to the gods; did they hear? I had cried out to every demigod; did they respond?_

_No. _

_And I would never involve myself with them ever again. _

* * * * * * * * * *

Mrs. O'Leary's barking brought me back. She was whining, leaning over something on the ground, her tail brushing the dirt.

She growled at me as I stepped toward her, then backed away with her tail between her legs, stubbornly refusing to go more than five feet away. A chilling feeling rose in my chest as my eyes fell to the ground.

"Oh, Nico," I whispered hoarsely, leaning over his unconscious body curled up on the ground. What the heck had happened when I'd been immersed in memories? Had he died of hunger? Had he been attacked by a ravenous giant wielding an iron hammer? Whatever had happened, it probably was my fault. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his face, his dark eyes squeezed tightly shut.

I leaned over him even more, my forehead brushing his. A heartbeat pulsed lightly against me, and I almost collapsed in relief. I stood up, moving away so there was more room for Mrs. O'Leary. She was crowding Nico, practically sitting on top of him in her effort to revive the demigod. Her tongue licked his face, and I could imagine him waking up, wondering why the heck he was covered in Hellhound drool.

I unslung Aryryn from my back, and leaned against a tree, sliding down so that I was resting against it. Mrs. O'Leary finally trotted away, most likely to do her business. I relaxed and watched Nico, watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. I knew I should have been thinking up a plan as to how I would get into the Underworld, but I couldn't think about that right now.

I was thinking about Nico.

Ever since I had met him, he had always managed to arouse my curiosity, starting with that look we had shared in the forest. The reason he had protected me from Thalia, the reason he had followed me from New York. I couldn't understand him, couldn't understand the feeling I felt from time to time when he was around.

That time in the forest I had felt his pain, understood what it felt like for him to lose Bianca. In a way his story was almost as tragic as mine. Then there was the fact that he had stood up to Percy and Thalia for me, had been willing to fight for my sake. And he was willing to follow me to the Underworld. And yet I couldn't shake the instinct that this could be a trap. All of it seemed too convenient.

The best thing for me to do would be to hide the real reason I was going to Hades, and distance myself as far as possible from Nico. It wouldn't do to form a bond and then have to cut it immediately, causing too much pain for my liking. Sure I'd have to hurt him eventually, but seeing him as he was he was now, lying there helpless, I wasn't sure that I could do it when I needed to. But I had to; the world depended on me.

I closed my eyes, and, lying back against the tree, fell into a deep sleep.

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As always, R&R! I enjoy seeing what you guys think of my stories! Please click that little green button!


	7. I Meet Nico's Good Old Dad

You know what annoys me? When people don't review.

I _see _how many people read Falling Star, at least two hundred, and yet I only have five reviews. That's seriously messed up.

But thank you for reading Falling Star anyway. It's my favorite out of all my stories.

Disclaimer: Rylin is mine. Max, Alyssa, and Aryryn are also mine. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, however, don't belong to me and that is why I feel like crying :(.

Thanks go out to Misthorse and tlover13. Ya see, if you review, I put your names in my story. And these two people totally _rock_.

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My sleep was completely dreamless, which was a huge relief. A gift from the gods, I supposed. Kinda like those gifts you give someone when you know when they're going to die.

"Ryley," A voice said quietly, right in my ear. I felt something brush against my face, and my eyes opened, still foggy from sleep. Black eyes were inches from mine, and fear suddenly shook me as I pressed back against the tree. Was Hades here already?

I shook the sleep out of my eyes and looked again. Nico was leaning over me, his dark eyes gazing at me with concealed shock. They were ringed with dark shadows, which was probably what had startled me.

"You don't look so good," I yawned, pretending not to notice how close he was. Aryryn brushed my fingers as I stretched luxuriously.

Nico looked me over, a small smile on his face. "You don't look so good yourself."

"You didn't have to shadow travel if it made you so weak," I shot back. "I wouldn't have said yes if I had known."

"Well you weren't in such a good mood yesterday," Nico replied, looking bored. "Your 'so called' approval wasn't high on my list. Besides, I didn't die."

I looked at him in amazement, barely concealing my shock. "You could have killed yourself?!"

"It doesn't matter now. I'm well and alive, thank you very much. You could act more grateful."

I turned away from him, feeling completely disgusted. "I don't know why you bother."

"I'm beginning to agree," Nico snapped back at me. I made a face at Mrs. O'Leary, who whined at me. Apparently she didn't like any type of fighting.

I looked down at Los Angeles, which looked a whole lot less demonic in daylight. I set off down the hill not even bothering to check if Nico was following. I hardly cared anymore. I closed my eyes and let my instincts guide me, checking if they were just as good as they had been two hundred years ago.

Apparently they were.

I briefly searched the area for demigods and monsters, trying to detect wavering flames or icy waves. I didn't find any, except one. Nico's flame was trailing behind me, flickering in and out of focus.

I rolled my eyes as I squinted through the sunlight. Then I remembered Ace.

Was it possible that he was still around? It had been a long time, after all…

There was only one way to find out.

I put my fingers to my mouth and whistled, loudly and into the wind. _Ace, Ace, Ace…_

Wings hard beating against the wind reached me, and I grinned. Nico skidded to a stop next to me, his eyes wide.

_Hey there, Rylin! I was wonderin' when you'd show up._

"You know me, Ace. I always return. Eventually, anyway," I laughed as Ace landed, his hooves clattering against the pavement. My old friend was still alive after all.

_Specially after Kronos returned. His army ransacked my old nest…_

"I'm so sorry, Ace." I murmured. He trotted up to me and pressed his muzzle into my shoulder, his ears flicked back. Pegasus or not, Ace had always been there for me, and I hadn't returned the favor.

"Ryley, we need to get to the Underworld before dark. The gates won't let us in if we're late." Nico interrupted coldly.

I studied him coolly, then turned back to Ace. "Can you take us to the gates of the Underworld?"

_Only for you, Ryley._

"Thank you, Ace." I nodded. "Nico, this is Ace. He's our ride to the Underworld."

_And your ticket out, I might add._

I ignored him, knowing full well I wouldn't be coming back. "You get on first."

Nico looked Ace in the eyes nervously, his night-black hair waving in the breeze. He bit his lip, then looked at me the same time as Ace.

"I don't think so."

_I don't think so._

I grinned at them both. "Oh yes."

Ten minutes later I was sitting on Ace's back, the wind blowing my hair back from my face, totally enjoying my freedom. Life was so, so good…

Nico was barely managing to stay on Sparkles, Ace's son. The black Pegasus was not used to riders, so he was bucking at every turn and diving at every chance he could get. The fall was several thousand feet, a rather long drop. Los Angles buzzed beneath us, the ocean shimmering on the horizon beyond it.

Ace fell into a dive, Sparkles bucking once and then following. My Pegasus spiraled gently down, depositing me neatly in front of a small cave. Nico wasn't nearly as lucky; he dropped straight into the pond nearby, his face completely white.

Sparkles whinnied anxiously. _Sorry!_

"No problem, Sparks," I said. "Thanks, Ace."

The Pegasus looked me straight in the eyes, hovering in the air. _Come back alive, Ryley._

"Okay," I mumbled as Nico plopped down on the grass next to me, splattering me with water.

Ace sped off, Sparkles on his tail. They disappeared into the horizon, and I sat in silence, watching the spot where they had gone. _Sorry, Ace._

I relaxed, focusing on the water soaking Nico and me. Slowly it gathered in the air, instantly drying both of us. It floated over to the pool where I released it, pouring it back into the pond.

I sighed as I sank down, the grass extra soft against my back. I needed time to think before I went into the Underworld. Did I know what I was doing, giving up my life? Giving up everything I'd come to know and love? That was the true meaning of sacrifice. It was what I would have done for my father had I had the chance. My time had trickled out when I had been fighting Kampe; with the amount of time it took me to defeat her, could I have saved my father?

I opened my eyes to meet Nico's, which were glimmering, inches from mine.

I gazed into them, hoping to see what he was thinking. But, as usual, I couldn't make out anything. I felt like I had that day in the forest, like he was looking through me, seeing every part of my heart that I had. My innermost secrets. My very soul, which was worth so much.

The feeling that I had forced down so many times finally rose to the surface. I fought it as hard as I could, dreading what would happen if I just let go.

I couldn't fall in love. It wasn't possible. I might have been able to once, but not now. Not now when I had a limited time to live.

Not Nico.

How would I be able to give up my life now?

I scarcely breathed as I looked up at him, my eyes glittering with tears. I called out to the water of the pond; it rose quietly, soaking Nico with one movement. With one command it froze, ice an inch thick locking him in.

I scooted backwards quickly. The frozen Nico looked in shock at me, hurt written all over his face. I looked away, unable to look at him any longer.

The cave was dark and completely creepy. I pulled out Aryryn, grateful for the light that radiated softly from the blade. Then I stepped right in, anxious to just get this over with.

Hopefully Max could cope better than I could.

Finally I saw a light ahead, and I felt my muscles tense. This was Lyss's territory, not to mention her cruel father, Hades. It was Nico's as well…

I instantly blocked my mind off. I couldn't afford to fail this time.

I looked through the little window the light was streaming from anxiously. Beyond it was a magnificent garden, practically humming with life. It could only be Persephone's legendary garden. I remembered the myths about the place; if you ate of its fruit, you would be forced to live in the Underworld forever.

Trees adorned the edges, sparkling with the colors of the rainbow; oranges, pinks, blues, greens…sapphires, diamonds, gold, and even silver. The garden spread before me, and I was drinking it all in eagerly, because when you're faced with death everything always seems more beautiful. Farther in were trees bearing all kinds of fruit, proudly displaying their boughs to me. My stomach growled.

A loud cackling sounded above me, and my head shot up. Hovering twenty feet in the air above me was one of the Furies, her hair greasy in contrast against the light shining from the garden.

"Well, what do we have here?" she cawed loudly. "An intruder, it seems. And in Persephone's garden, even! She won't be happy to hear that, you know."

"I'm sure she'll live," I replied evenly, sheathing Aryryn. "Hades probably told you I was coming."

"Indeed he did, demigod. You wish to make a trade, of sorts?"

"That is my offer."

She nodded her head at me, then cackled suddenly. "The death wish is strong in this one, indeed. You wish to die, young one?"

I refused to give her any satisfaction. "I'm nearly as old as you. Three hundred and twenty seven years, in fact. Could we hurry this along? I'm sure Hades is busy."

She crinkled her nose at me, her fun ruined. "Very well, demigod."

I closed my eyes as she spiraled down, draping one wing over me. The Furies had long mastered shadow travel before anyone else. I felt the familiar sensation of being slightly drained, then I felt the ground solid under my feet.

The wing suddenly retreated, allowing me to finally lay eyes on the one who wanted me dead.

Hades sat almost mockingly on his throne of bones, his cloak swimming with the faces of the tortured, souls of those long dead. I bet he wanted to add me to those faces, to finally be able to control me.

I lifted my eyes to his face, and the burning eye sockets that were there reflected back at me coldly. I raised my head proudly, rebellious even when faced with death.

This was my true sacrifice.

"Rylin Becker. What a pleasant surprise," Hades said, his features overcome with boredom. "At last you have the courage to show your face. You have hidden from me for too long."

"I've only been hiding for forty years," I said sharply. I felt slightly tired. I just wanted all of this to be over with. "You know why I'm here."

"To trade, no doubt. What is it that you desire?" His hatred dripped in his voice, a shiver running down my spine. His eyes burned a hole through me.

I heard wing beats, and realized that the other two harpies had arrived, settling behind me as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Something itched warningly at the back of my memory, but I ignored it, focusing on the Lord of the Dead.

"If I give up my soul, I want someone else to be released. Max Perry, the son of Zeus."

Hades smirked at me, and I heard the harpies break into cackles behind me. I kept my face blank.

"Mr. Perry is currently enjoying the hospitality of Elysium, Ms. Rylin. He cannot be released for at least another century." Hades leered mockingly. " And even if I could release him, I wouldn't. I have no love of Pan, and you're all that ties him to this world."

Exhaustion dragged at me, and I fought to stay awake.

"I knew it. You tricked me." I realized sleepily. "You lured me here on a false hope just so you could take my soul. Do you know what's going on up there? The Olympians are fighting a losing battle against Kronos! While you're sitting down here locked up tight in your underground hell, your brothers and sisters are falling one by one!"

"I could care less," Hades said smoothly. "What have they ever done for me? Once they are gone I may finally take my rightful place."

"Kronos will destroy you first," I snarled. Aryryn sparked angrily at my shoulder, the humming becoming unbearable. "I came to save a dying world, a world that started dying because of you! You killed my father!"

"And you think dying will solve all of this mess? You are ignorant indeed, demigod. This world is far beyond redemption. You think your little sacrifice will save this world? Well you were wrong. Ultimately, your choice is what doomed it."

My eyes widened. "That's not possible," I whispered.

Hades fed on my pain. His grin became larger, more mocking. His eyes burned hotter against my skin, and I felt like I was beginning to lose myself.

"You have changed nothing. This world will die anyway. There's nothing you, or any son of Zeus can do about it."

The Lord of the Dead looked bored with me already, his eyes flicking about the room with dead interest.

"You traitor," I mumbled, almost falling asleep.

"Oh, I'm not the traitor at all. I wasn't the one who forced you to shadow travel to Los Angeles, was I? I once used Alyssa. What makes you think I wouldn't use Nico too?" He looked at me one more time.

"I tire quickly of this useless talk. Furies, her soul, if you will." He snapped his fingers.

I was barely standing, exhaustion overcoming me. The Furies advanced on me, evil glints in their ancient eyes. I pulled Aryryn, barely able to even hold the sword up, much less swing it at some monster's head.

"Furies, stop." A voice said. Power soaked from the two words, and the harpies halted in baffled bewilderment.

"I should have known," Hades said. "You want your part of the bargain."

"Yes," the voice answered, and my heart sank as I recognized Nico's voice. Pain lanced through me for a second and I fell to the ground, shuddering. "Where's Bianca?"

I sighed. What a surprise.

"Right here," a girl's voice murmured.

I barely had the strength to raise my head. But I somehow managed it.

Bianca's ghost was hovering above the ground, transparent except her outline. Even light bended around her, casting no shadow on the ground behind her. Her face was sorrowful, but I detected a glint of happiness. Her brother had come back for her, and that was enough. I was willing to bet she had been beautiful in life, with her light hair and blue eyes. I closed my eyes for a second, letting her aura wash over me.

It was the strangest aura I had ever felt. It was bursting with life, yet it was dead at the same time. There was a light taste of the hunt, the spectacular feeling of being the hunter. And I realized in that moment that Bianca wasn't normal. She had been a Hunter of Artemis, becoming immortal just like me. And a tragic death had parted her from Nico.

Against my will, pity grasped my heart.

Bianca's eyes washed over everything, her gaze making me shiver. It rested finally on me for a fraction of a second, then she was turning toward Nico.

"Nico," she breathed in ecstasy. I dropped my head, unable to hold it up any longer. Strength was seeping away from me, a thin line of light growing between me and Bianca. As I watched it grew thicker and thicker as it stole more and more of my life. Bianca was growing more solid by every passing moment, and I could see a shadow growing from her feet, stretching across the ground. She wasn't floating anymore; her heartbeat pulsed across the ground to me.

I remembered the last time I had been dying, the last time I had almost lost myself forever. I didn't want to fight now. I had had enough fighting to last a lifetime.

"Bianca," I whispered, so weakly I was afraid she wouldn't hear me.

Her head turned and she watched me with gentle eyes. "Yes?"

"I don't resent you. There are a lot of worse people who could take my life." I coughed, wheezing against the ground. "I'm glad it's you."

"Thank you," Bianca murmured, and I was startled to hear a rush of gratitude.

"And…" I was barely hanging on. Bianca had to lean over me to hear.

"Find Alyssa. She can help you."

The last thing I saw was Bianca, leaning over me. And she was crying.

My eyes slipped closed.

Forever.

_To love is to destroy; to be loved is to be the one destroyed._

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And so ends Rylin's life as we know it.

Please R&R. Please please please I need motivation and I ain't getting any. I'll dedicate the next chapter to whoever reviews.


	8. Some Memories Just Arent For Remembering

Grrrrrr! Only two reviews! I'm not mad, just frustrated. I mean, I spend hours typing this stuff up, and I don't even get anything in return.

Thanks to everybody who reviews! All the amazing reviewers of Falling Star are as follows: tridentbonez313, ausumist, tlover13, wowzerss, and Frankie-JaymeENGLISHPROUD.

So this chapter is dedicated to the last two for actually giving me reviews when I asked; thanks Wow and Frankie!

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He leaned against the wall casually, the shades hiding his unnaturally blue eyes. The wind felt good against his hair, every breath bursting with life. The sun was warm against his skin, melting the chills left over from being in the Underworld. It was like he had never left.

Footsteps reached his ears and he stood up straight rigidly, his eyes flickering. The birds quieted their melodies, and even the wind fell silent. An ominous feeling rose up in his heart.

The girl walked silently down the path toward him. Her walk was lithe like a cat's, just as graceful and twice as silent. She was wearing shades as well, but he knew the liquid fire of her eyes as well as he knew every part of himself.

She stopped before him.

Her slender fingers whisked the shades off her face. "She'll be dead in a couple of minutes."

"Is this what you were waiting for?" His voice was amused.

"Of course." She flashed him a grin. "This is what I've waited forty years for."

"Everything happen the way you planned?" He asked as they set off at a brisk walk.

"Better, even. Bianca is alive again. And your brother managed to find Hanna." She was excited, he could tell, in her own special way. "After forty years, everything is coming together. Tonight is the night."

"Good," he said as he looked up at the sky. It was going to rain.

He could not ask for a better day to be brought back to life.

* * * * * * * * * *

I felt like I was floating, the world spinning in my head. I could no longer feel the ground against my cheek, or the loathing I was feeling for Hades. Everything was topsy-turvy in my world.

If I had a guess I'd have to say that I was unconscious, not dead. Actually, this felt a little like I was taking a nap and this was one of the crazy dreams the nymphs had put in my head for a good laugh. They had always done that when I was little-my father had found it funny that I dreamt about Yogi Bear and the Power Rangers.

Naturally I knew I could trust Bianca with saving the world; and it would definitely help that she had taken my life force, not just any random demigod's. Aryryn would obey her, now that we had shared souls. My instincts would be there to help her out against Kronos, at least a little bit.

I wondered idly about Max; was he enjoying Elysium? Elysium was the place where the really pure souls went. Was Ben there too? The two brothers had the most pure souls I had ever seen. Even Thalia didn't have that type of soul.

Thoughts flurried to my head, and memories that were better left hidden came into light.

* * * * * * * * * *

_The hallway stretched before me, darkness illuminating everything and nothing. I crept down the path, fear in every stiff movement._

_It was not myself that I feared for._

_I had to save her._

_My last image in my head of her, trussed up on the back of a dark Pegasus, riding off into the night without so much as a trace. Tracking had never been one of my talents, yet here I was, two weeks later, sensing her aura flowing through the air. A fiery rage exploded through me at the thought of what they were doing to her._

_A loud creak echoed through the hall, and I threw myself to the side just in time. A ball of fire convulsed right on the spot I had been standing._

_I put my hand up to my shoulder and grasped air._

_"Dang it!" I gasped. I swore angrily in Greek. Kronos had taken Aryryn on the same night he had kidnapped Hanna._

_The fire giant faded into sight, shifting its huge bulk to fit in the hallway. I snarled at it, briefly caught up in anger. Its dull eyes looked completely expressionlessly at me, assessing me as if I was no threat._

_That truly was a stupid fire giant._

_Wind blasted it back against the wall, and I watched as the curse did its work. The giant exploded into a million pieces, smoke erupting from its once solid body. I walked casually down the hall, past the shattered remains of the monster, and finally laid eyes on the door._

_It was extremely old and ancient, the wood practically rotting. But I knew instinctively that if I tried it, it would be stronger than the strongest iron vault door. There was a silver keyhole right under the doorknob, and I grinned._

_I pulled the amulet from my pocket, examining the curious key shape on the end of it._

_"Thank you Hanna," I muttered, carefully inserting it into the lock. It clicked and the door swung open._

_I barely had a chance to search for enemies before my eyes fell on her. The chair she sat on was completely ordinary, aside from the magical ropes that had her tied. Her head was limp, her long hair obscuring her face from me._

_"Hanna," I whispered, drenching my words in pity. "I'm so sorry."_

_I crossed the room quicker than I had thought possible, burning the ropes and letting them fall away from her wrists. She still didn't move, her dark eyes squeezed tightly shut. I could still feel her heartbeat, her life pulsing like a beacon in the dark room._

_We were not alone._

_"Rylin," His cold voice said in amusement. "We were wondering when you'd show up."_

_I whipped around, but the voice seemed to be coming from all sides, echoing everywhere at once. I stood protectively in front of Hanna, my eyes narrowing to thin blue chips of ice. I scanned the room again, this time with renewed urgency. Still nothing._

_"I was wondering the same thing," I replied, shifting my weight. "How's Prometheus? I hope he's still not too miffed about the birds, is he?" _

_"Oh, Ceronon and Asokomos have been enjoying themselves, I'm sure." His voice held an undercurrent to it, a rage boiling up under his words. "Still obeying you after three hundred years, apparently. Prometheus has had his entrails ripped out at least five hundred times, you know."_

_"Don't blame me," I replied, raising my hands up. "Zeus is the one who didn't appreciate fire."_

_Another voice joined the first. "Quit gabbing, Kronos. We have a job to do."_

_"But Rylin and I always have such intriguing conversations, Morpheus." Kronos complained. Then the Lord of Time sighed. "Very well."_

_I turned around at the sound of a step. "By the way, Kronos," I said quietly, my eyes flickering about the room. My tone was casual. "What have you done with my sword?"_

_Aryryn appeared on the floor in front of me as Morpheus spoke._

_"We were not sure you would come if it was only the girl."_

_I laughed bitterly as I picked up Aryryn. "You know me better than that, Kronos."_

_"Indeed I do. You are almost as bad as that girl there. Always crying, worrying over the fate of her friends. That is the fatal flaw of Poseidon, is it not?"_

_"Yes," I whispered, stealing a glance at the unconscious Hanna. "It was her fatal flaw that allowed you to take her away from me in the first place. You won't get a second chance."_

_I drew Aryryn, the blade glowing against the pressing darkness._

_I heard another step. Then one after that. Somebody was circling for the kill._

_I instinctively closed my eyes. And suddenly I could **see**_._  
_

_Aryryn flashed behind me, instantly killing the demon that was reaching for Hanna. Kronos stood in front of me, his liquid eyes staring at me emotionlessly, his scythe held loosely in his left hand. Darkness bit at my heart, leaving in its place a stinging burn._

_"Why," I muttered as I swung at another demon's head "do you always have to make things so impossible for me? Can't you go easy on me every once in a while?"_

_Kronos chuckled at that, his face lighting up. And not in a good way. Suddenly he snapped his fingers, and I heard Hanna stirring behind me. The demon I was grappling with burst into flames, as did all the others. I was completely alone in the room, except for an unconscious Hanna and a raving lunatic._

_I whipped around as I dashed to Hanna's side. Her brown eyes looked up at me bewilderedly as she shook her head. _

_"Who are you? And what am I doing here?" she asked, completely mystified._

_I looked at her in horror, then straightened up as I raked my gaze across Kronos. I narrowed my eyes menacingly._

_"What did you do to her?" I hissed, filling every syllable with my rage and hatred._

_Kronos didn't seem to notice. He shrugged. "Nothing that wasn't there before."_

_I turned back to Hanna in desperation. "Don't you remember?!" I cried._

_She looked me up and down. "Who are you?" she repeated, whispering. Her eyes widened as they slid past me. "Who's he?" She sat up straighter on the wooden chair, fussing with her hair. "He's kinda hot."_

_"That…is…it." I hissed through gritted teeth. I whirled on Kronos, my anger mounting at the surprised look on his face. A column of fire rose around him, the wind fueling the flames. I glared defiantly at him through the wall of fire._

_"You've gone too far this time," I snarled. "Next time I won't hesitate to kill you."_

_His eyes glowed mockingly at me. He grinned, the light glinting off his perfect teeth. "If I give you a second chance."_

_I stomped back to the ancient door, calling a quick "Follow me!" to Hanna. I heard her footsteps trembling behind me. I crossed out into the hallway._

_"Why did you threaten that man? He was being so nice to you!" Hanna said._

_"He's a liar," I snapped. Then I froze._

_She didn't see the scythe that he held in his hand? She didn't see that he was TRYING to KILL me?_

_I cursed in Greek._

_"Huh?" Hanna tipped her head._

_She wasn't a demigod anymore. She was mortal now, only able to see what the Mist showed her. This couldn't be happening! We needed her, the world needed her…I needed her._

_"Who's your father, Hanna?" I asked, hoping with all my heart she'd say something to do with water. Hoping that she'd say SOMETHING to assure me she hadn't forgotten everything. _

_"A business man," She said, shrugging. _

_I would remember that blank look in her eyes forever._

* * * * * * * * * *

"Hanna," I whispered painfully as I squirmed on the ground.

"Who's Hanna?" A voice asked above me.

My eyes flew open.

What the _heck_?!

* * * * * * * * * *

"We need to know!" Percy pointed out. "We met her, for goodness sake!"

"I said no," Chiron said calmly, his hoof scraping the ground. Percy shot a look at Annabeth, but she shrugged and gestured to the centaur.

"It was your idea," she mouthed.

"Don't think I can't see you," Chiron said without looking up. He fiddled with the laptop a little more. "There. All fixed."

"Thanks, Chiron!" Annabeth exclaimed, her grey eyes flashing excitedly. She reached for it eagerly.

The centaur looked completely drained, his coat rough and his tail hanging limply. His eyes were even worse, defeat in them every single time he looked up. He trotted to the door, his hooves making a hollow sound against the floor.

"Please, Chiron. This is important. She might be the only thing that can help us now."

"If she was alive," he muttered bitterly. "Which she isn't."

Annabeth took over. "Chiron, look. We know all about Rylin. We know she was more powerful then Kronos, and that she owned Aryryn. That she was the subject of the prophecy, and that she thought she could do it alone. And she still thinks she can."

"Don't talk to me about her! That prophecy was over and done centuries ago!" His hoof stomped the floor, the wood snapping and bending.

"That's the fatal flaw of Pan," Annabeth breathed, realization dawning on her face. "She can't put enough trust in anyone to ask for their help. She doesn't _trust_ anybody enough to help."

"She wasn't always that way," Chiron whispered, his eyes focused on the distant horizon. "It took the betrayal of her best friend."

Suddenly his eyes cleared. "Sit down. This story could take a long time to tell. I'm not sure I quite remember everything."

A creak at the door warned Percy.

"Knock, knock," someone said. "Rachel!" Thalia scolded jokingly, her blue eyes glowing at the Oracle.

The daughter of Zeus and Rachel strode into the room, sinking onto the couch sighing.

"I heard someone was going to talk about Rylin." Rachel said with a secretive wink. Thalia burst out laughing, little sparks of electricity jolting off her in different directions. Percy rolled his eyes, while Annabeth just tapped the floor impatiently with her foot.

"Sorry," Thalia muttered when she had sobered up. "Please go on."

"Anyway," Chiron said, turning back to Percy, "Rylin was born in 1682, around the time we were still fighting the Titans. They were growing more powerful every year, and it wouldn't take them much longer before they finally destroyed us all. Eight years after she had been born, Rylin met the most important people to ever enter her life."

"Who?" Rachel interrupted, practically bouncing with suspense.

"I was getting to it." Chiron sighed. "She met Max Perry and his brother, Ben. And…Alyssa."

"They grew up together. They fought alongside each other for almost a decade, and I think that was the closest Rylin ever got to anyone. But it couldn't last."

"Story of my life," Thalia muttered, earning a hissing SHHH! from Rachel.

"Eventually Alyssa's father pressured her into doing something so selfish that it shattered Rylin's trust. Hades had wanted Rylin's soul for a very long time; she was immortal, you see. So he influenced Alyssa to attack Rylin, in an attempt to catch her off guard and kill her. He tricked Alyssa into thinking that if she killed Rylin, she could trade her life for anyone else's, including Max Perry, who had died that very day.

"Alyssa didn't manage it. Rylin escaped, and she dropped off the face of the earth. That was about when she came to me. I was notorious for raising heroes in that day and age, and she wished for me to train her. So for a long time I did, and she turned out to be the most talented I had ever taught. The last battle was rising on the horizon, and I eagerly awaited the day when I could see all that I had taught her come into play.

"By then Kronos had grown even more powerful day by day, and I knew the gods were even wondering how they would defeat him. One the day of the battle, I should have known. The sun was even hiding its face from the blood that would be spilled on that very day."

"Where did you fight? I thought it was in Greece-" Thalia interrupted, but was silenced by a look from Chiron.

"It was. We fought over Athens itself. It was a heck of a day to be in battle." Chiron's eyes had grown misty. "Even Rylin admitted that she was feeling a little uncomfortable. Her father, Pan himself, was at the battle as well, lining up alongside Zeus and his family. We were all ready. And I couldn't shake off the terrible feeling that something would go wrong. Terribly wrong.

"It didn't at first. Rylin and I withstood the first wave of monsters, and the second. But during the third I saw her slinking off, down to the city itself. And then I knew.

"She wanted to take care of Kronos herself. She was a magnificent fighter, especially with Aryryn. I had helped her find it, deep underground, as one of the relics left over from the early Titans. Anyway, she entered the palace and from there engaged Kronos in a terrible battle, the likes of which have never been seen, even to the present day. Almost the whole city was wiped out.

"She never came back. And I've waited centuries upon centuries for her to come back, to see her face again as it was. Just like that, she had dropped off the face of the earth, just as she had when she was younger. Except this time she didn't return." His voice was low. "And now you're telling me to believe that she's been alive all these years, and she never told me? That she didn't drop by once and say, 'Hey there Chiron, you can stop worrying, I'm alive, see?'. You honestly think I want to believe that?"

Percy was biting his lip, thinking hard.

"What?" Annabeth asked him, her grey eyes glimmering.

"Was she as good as me?" he burst out, eyes on Chiron.

His eyes cleared as he raised his head and fixed his eyes on Percy. For the first time his face broke out into a huge grin.

"You wouldn't have lasted two seconds."

Rachel grinned at Chiron, and then her face fell into a frown. "I miss her. Rylin, I mean."

Percy looked thoughtful again. "Yeah, I guess."

Thalia looked guilty. "I'm sorry about what happened. I really shouldn't have tried to torture her. And Percy, you shouldn't have let me try!"

"It was that prophecy! It was really important and I thought that she'd get over it, eventually…" His voice trailed off.

"Wait a sec," Rachel whispered, her eyes widening. "Does anyone have a drachma?"

Thalia held out her hand, her face puzzled. "What, do you feel the need to go and buy something from the vending machine?"

"No…" Rachel said, smiling secretively as she whisked the drachma from the demigod's hand. She stood up, as if dusting herself off.

She tossed the coin in the air.

"Rylin Becker, please."

* * * * * * * * * *

Oh yeah. I went there. Rylin's past has finally been revealed…or has it? Muahaha!

Please review. I need more fabulous comments if you guys want me to keep writing. So click that amazing button and tell me what you think!


	9. Bianca's Conscience Wakes Up

Thanks for the hits, everyone! I have nearly five hundred right now, and I guess that makes me happy… though what would make me happier would be if I had more reviews…but I should just be happy with what I get…

Thank you all. :D

Disclaimer: Rylin, Max, Ben, Alyssa, Aryryn, and Hanna are all mine! Percy Jackson and the Olympians aren't mine :(

* * * * * * * * * *

"Why is it," I muttered to myself as I stared up at the person, "that every time I think I've seen someone for the last time, it never turns out to be true?"

"It's your brain we're talking about here, right?" he answered my question with his own. "Your mind has always been different from everyone else's."

I looked deep into those blue eyes, drinking it all in desperately. I had never thought this moment would happen, and wait a sec. Freeze.

Hadn't I just been dying?

Ben looked down at me, his eyes glowing warmly. "They saved you." He murmured, answering my unspoken thought.

"Who?"

"Them." I looked around, still seeing no one.

"Ben, stop messing around," I said warningly. He just kept smiling, and then it hit me.

It wasn't real. None of it.

His feet were floating several feet above the ground. His eyes had a dark tint to them that hadn't been there in my memories. And he didn't remember who Hanna was. I looked beyond him, to the beautiful meadow, to the thousands of flowers that surrounded us.

"Cut it out," I whimpered. The smiling Ben was really beginning to creep me out. I looked down at myself, cold recognition striking me painfully.

I couldn't see my feet. And a chill was suddenly taking over my heart, coating it in ice. My whole body was transparent, the chill settling as if it intended to stay forever. I tried to breathe. I tried not to panic.

That's kinda hard when you can no longer breathe air.

And somehow, with or without air, I managed to scream, louder than I ever did when I was alive.

I had a feeling that I was never going to wake up.

* * * * * * * * * *

Rachel's face paled. "Rylin Becker, please." She repeated.

"I'm sorry, but that person is no longer available. Please press 5 to redial. If you wish to hang up, press 8." Isis's voice was pleasant.

Rachel's face turned even lighter, to an almost pasty white. Percy felt his heart sink, and he turned to Chiron sympathetically.

"There's nothing you can say," the centaur said angrily. "I knew it."

"I did too," said a quiet voice, right inside the door. Percy raised his head, his eyes widening.

It wasn't possible.

Bianca stood there, her blue eyes glowing fiercely. Nico was hesitating behind her, his eyes on the ground. If Percy had to put a name to the expression on his face, he'd say it was almost…guilty.

"Bianca!" Thalia cried, launching herself at the Hunter. She hugged her tightly, Bianca beginning to gasp for breath.

"Cut it out, Thalia," Percy said as he stepped up. The daughter of Zeus backed away, her eyes glowing happily.

"Welcome back, Bianca." Percy said, then swept her up in a huge hug, grinning.

"That's enough." Chiron's voice cut them off. "What are you doing here?" His voice sounded suspicious, and extremely cold.

Nico looked nervous, backing up almost unconsciously.

Bianca fixed her eyes on Chiron. "Nico brought me back."

"To raise someone from the dead you need another soul, one to energize the dead back into life. Whose life did you steal?" His voice was icy, almost as if he knew where this was going.

Bianca flinched, drawing her gaze to the ground. When she spoke, her voice was a whisper, easily lost in the room.

"Rylin Becker. She wanted to trade her life for Max Perry's, but my father lied to her. He lied, and said it would happen. I can't believe…" she broke off, her voice trembling. A tear cascaded down her face, and then another. Nico came up behind his sister, hesitantly wrapping his arms around her.

"Max Perry…" Rachel mumbled in recognition. "I could have sworn I've heard that name before…"

Chiron's head swung up.

"That prophecy!" He hissed. "What happened to Alyssa?!" He didn't seem aware that they were there, as he turned to Annabeth, grabbing the laptop back. He typed furiously, scanning the screen for any trace of the information.

"Chiron?" Somebody asked.

"What?!" he almost snarled.

"There's been news, from the west. Typhon is free. And Kronos is heading to New York at this very moment. The attack will come tonight." Everybody turned to the speaker, a kid about the age of twelve, standing under the threshold. He was visibly trembling, his eyes flickering nervously back and forth.

Then he looked confused.

"Some girl told me to tell you that the Titans are coming here. To Camp Halfblood."

"What girl?" Chiron said, his voice deathly quiet.

"She was totally creepy. Everything was dark around her, and the birds stopped singing the instant I saw her."

"What girl?" he repeated, gritting his teeth.

"She said her name was Alyssa. Alyssa Janaya."

* * * * * * * * * *

"They're coming HERE?!" someone exclaimed. Everybody broke out into hushed conversations, and Bianca just stood at the fringes of the crowd, exchanging looks with Percy. Clearly the demigods weren't taking the news that well.

Clarisse broke free of the crowd, standing up tall and demanding all attention. The murmuring hushed.

"So what? Who cares if they're coming here? We've fought them off before, at the Battle of the Labyrinth. We can do it again." Her eyes seemed to glow red in the firelight.

The whole Ares cabin roared in approval, stomping their feet on the ground.

"This isn't the same, Clarisse," Chiron said tiredly, hanging his head. "The Titans themselves are coming, and Typhon himself has woken up for the occasion."

"Are you already saying we're going to lose, Chiron? That there's no point in fighting?" Annabeth interrupted, her grey eyes flashing angrily.

"I'm not-"

"Chiron." Bianca suddenly spoke up, and everybody turned to look at her in absolute silence. "Rylin never gave up, even when she was dying. Believe me, I know. And you know what she'd say if she were here? She'd say that freedom was worth fighting for, that saving all those lives out there was worth the risk. We can't forget all of those mortals out there, depending on us. Their whole lives will be forever changed tonight."

Bianca sensed Nico coming up behind her, his footsteps completely silent. A chill stole over her, and she turned to look at her brother, something suddenly nagging at her mind. She could hear Chiron continuing to talk to the campers, but yet she didn't hear a word of it.

"Nico," she whispered. "I need to talk to you."

He nodded solemnly as he walked away into the trees, beckoning for her to follow. The trees seemed dark and forbidding as Bianca glided after Nico, the silence almost completely deafening to her ears.

"Alright," He said as he leaned against a tree. "What's this about?"

"It's about Ryley. How did she get into the Underworld?" Bianca tried to keep her voice from shaking. All she needed was for Nico to confirm it.

Her brother dropped his gaze to the ground, his guilty look dominating his face. Something clearly wasn't right here.

"I brought her there," Nico finally admitted, still unable to look at her.

"You betrayed her?" Bianca murmured painfully. "She trusted you!" Her voice grew louder. A current of anger ran through her, fire practically burning through her veins. She listened to her heartbeat race.

_This life isn't mine, _Bianca thought rapidly. _I stole it._

She fed on that thought in her head. She was just as guilty as Nico.

"I didn't have a choice!" Nico snapped. "You were fine with it too! It wasn't like you were protesting. You _wanted _to be alive again."

"Of course I did," she mumbled. _Of course I did._

"I killed her," Bianca whispered. "She's dead because I'm a filthy life sucking parasite."

Nico was looking at her in shock. "This isn't your fault, Bianca. It's mine. I can't believe I…" His black eyes were just as wide as hers now.

She concentrated, her powers jumping easily to her command. Darkness flowed around her, the light banned forever from the clearing. It should have been easy, yet she felt like it was the hardest thing in her life that she'd ever had to do.

The first thing that told her she'd done it was the pain. It wasn't hers, flowing over her and Nico.

The pain wasn't hers.

* * * * * * * * * *

It felt cruel, this longing suddenly tugging at my heart. Almost like someone was calling my name and I didn't know how to respond. The chill enveloped my whole body, extending from my heart and making me shudder violently.

Instinctively I knew I was being called back into the world.

I would be appearing there as a ghost.

The chill flooded me, magnified to ten times as strong. I couldn't hold back the wave, couldn't call on my willpower. Whoever was calling me was my master now.

Finally I felt like something was complete. I was back.

I opened my eyes, and wished I'd kept them closed.

* * * * * * * * * *

Bianca's eyes swept Ryley from head to toe. Her slender form was barely visible in the shadows; only the occasional breeze would allow her a view. The ghost was trembling violently, her thin arms wrapped around herself.

"Leave me alone," she said vehemently.

Bianca looked at Nico, and saw the pain sparkling in his eyes. What was wrong with him? He had betrayed this girl; he couldn't have cared more about her than he cared about Bianca, could he? She was the one he had brought to life, not this miserable, pain-filled demigod in front of her.

"The chill," the ghost's voice was a whisper barely heard. "The chill is eating me alive."

Suddenly her eyes flicked open to reveal a silvery blue color, the only thing that was slightly alive about her. The eyes swept coolly over her and rested on Nico.

"What do you want?" The ghost murmured weakly.

Nico continued to stare at Ryley, his emotions for once not visible on his face. His pitch black eyes were flickering.

"I'm not going to say I forgive you!" Ryley suddenly cried, the birds in the trees lifting off all at once.

"I didn't say that's what I wanted," Nico said smoothly, his eyes locked on the ghost's. She glared defiantly back at him, and Bianca briefly wondered if Ryley knew she was there. She only had eyes for Nico, and Bianca somehow knew that was why she had summoned the ghost. She couldn't stand to see her brother in such pain.

"Send me back then," Ryley muttered. "I have nothing to say to you." She immediately dropped her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Nico suddenly whispered, his eyes staring intensely at Ryley. "I never knew about Alyssa. I'm so-"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry! I told you I wouldn't forgive you." Her voice rose, and suddenly she was screaming, her face tipped to the sky. "This is what you wanted! Are you happy now, Lord of the Sky? Pan is finally dead!"

Thunder crackled overhead, and suddenly a huge fork of lightning darted down, straight toward the ghost. She raised a finger over her head and the electricity shot off into all directions, none of them even touching her. Bianca barely noticed that none even came within a foot of her and Nico.

Ryley had her face in her hands, shuddering. "I'm sorry. I'm just so sorry, father."

All the birds rushed toward her, spiraling around Pan's daughter. One broke into birdsong, and Ryley slowly lifted her tearstained face toward it, reaching out her hand. The bird tried to land, but it only fell through her transparent arm.

Finally she turned back to Nico and Bianca, her eyes clear.

"Go ahead. Send me back to my underground hell. I know you want to." Ryley's voice was strong and defiant, her form sparkling in the shadows. "I've had enough of this world. Let me rest."

"Ryley, Kronos is going to attack us tonight." Bianca finally spoke up from Nico's side.

The ghost shrugged. "So? There's nothing I can do. You're alive and I'm not. You have Aryryn?"

"Of course," Bianca said as she pulled the sword off her back.

Ryley's eyes roved over the sword, her eyes glowing in happiness. The blade glowed in response, almost as if it knew she was there.

* * * * * * * * * *

The light pierced through the chill in my body, and suddenly I was exploding with warmth. I lifted my finger to the bird one more time, desperate to touch something living before they sent me back.

The bird landed on my finger. I could feel the brush of its feathers against my finger, warmth brushing against my heart, which was quickly thawing. Bianca slid Aryryn back into its sheath, but the feeling lingered.

I raised my eyes to Nico, knowing I'd probably never see him again.

What was wrong with me? He had BETRAYED me for goodness sake! I couldn't just let myself forgive Nico, no matter how much I was in love with him. It wouldn't make me feel better to forgive and forget. But it would help Nico, and I suppose that was about the only thing that made sense about what I did next.

His pitch black eyes looked directly at me, and for the third time in my life I felt like he could see everything in my eyes. I stared as he stepped forward, closer and closer until he was inches away.

The chill wasn't there anymore.

"Nico, I forgive you." I breathed.

His eyes cleared. "I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare." I growled. Leave it to Nico to ruin my moment.

Suddenly he raised his hand and brushed it against my cheek. I shuddered again, but not from the cold this time. I could almost feel my heartbeat again.

"Do you know the price of what you just did?" I murmured.

"Of course. That's why I did it," he whispered back, winking at me just like Alyssa all those years ago. He looked slightly paler from the contact. I supposed I looked more alive to him now, more solid.

"Don't drain yourself," I warned. As much as I longed for Nico to do it again, I didn't want him to kill himself.

Instead he turned to his sister. "Bianca, could you give us a moment? I…want to say goodbye."

Bianca grinned, giving her brother a quick wave.

"Be careful, Nico. Don't do anything you'll regret." She muttered as she brushed past him, heading farther into the forest. I heard loud cheering in the distance.

"Wait a sec. Am I at Camp Halfblood?" I asked in amazement.

"Yup."

I looked around. I was slightly disappointed at the lack of deathly obstacle courses, screaming campers out for your blood, or perhaps just the lack of anything, really.

"So," I said. "Am I dead enough for you now?"

His face paled. "I wasn't thinking when I said that. How could I know that…this would happen?" He gestured at my transparent body, and I felt a slight breeze.

"Nico, can I get you to promise me something?" I looked up into his face.

"Anything," he whispered solemnly. I was a little taken aback by the honesty in his voice.

"Don't get killed," I said. "Kronos won't hesitate, I promise you that. Don't lose your life like I've lost mine."

"I won't." Nico promised, the sunlight sparkling off his hair. And I believed him.

The chill was beginning to settle back in. It was all I could do not to flinch when darkness settled back over me. I still felt Aryryn's strength flowing through me.

I closed my eyes and waited for Nico to send me back to the Underworld.

I waited. And waited some more.

Finally I opened my eyes and found him looking at me. I stared back.

"Aren't you going to send me back?" I directed sternly. "C'mon now; I've got an appointment with your father at two. You know I can't miss that."

Nico smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I can't."

"Can't what?"

"Send you back. I just don't know." He raked his hand through his hair, his eyes flickering in the dark.

"You don't want to?" I asked in surprise. "I thought you'd be glad when I'm gone."

Nico hesitated, and I saw it for a second. As quickly as I saw it, though, it was gone. But I knew.

"I heard the pain in your voice, Ryley. When you talked about the chill. And even now, when you stood there with your eyes closed, dreading the moment I would send you back. How could I do it when it feels like when I betrayed you?"

All the hurt built up in me flowed out. "What do you care? As long as your sister's alive, it doesn't matter, right?"

"I didn't do it because I wanted to!" Nico snapped angrily. Suddenly his voice lowered. "It hurt me too, you know. That's why I refuse to let you go this time."

As much as I wanted to believe him, I felt like I couldn't. "Why did you betray me, then?"

His eyes were earnest.

"Alyssa asked me to."

* * * * * * * * * *

Whoa. Betcha didn't see that coming…well obviously Rylin didn't either.

R&R please!


	10. The Start Of The End

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The countdown begins…

* * * * * * * * * *

I tipped my head, cupping my right ear. I couldn't have heard right.

"What?"

"Alyssa-"

"Don't say it again! How the heck do you even know who Alyssa is?" I felt anger rising up in me. I hadn't seen Alyssa in forty years, and this must be some kind of welcome back present. I could imagine her cold voice saying _"Surprise! I asked the guy you like to kill you for your birthday. Hope you like it!"_

I shook my head.

"Alyssa asked me to do it. Something to do with a prophecy. Bianca had to come back. It was important somehow."

"Are you lying to me?" The only way he could have known about Alyssa was if he had heard me talking in my sleep, and believe me, I do do that a lot. That was awkward. I'd have to be careful what I said in the future.

"No!" Nico protested, his eyes widening. Somehow, somewhere deep down, I knew he had to be telling the truth. This was just too Alyssa-ish for her not to be involved. "Listen. All I got was a note saying to meet her somewhere. I went, and all she said was that I had to take you to the Underworld and trade for Bianca. And she told me to tell you that she and Max say hi, whoever Max is."

Despite myself, a sudden grin spread across my face. "That is sooo totally Alyssa."

He nodded. "So you believe me?"

"Duh. So, um…" I looked down at my transparent self. "What **are** we going to do with me?"

Nico had a sparkle in his eyes as he looked at me, his expression thoughtful in a way that scared me.

"I think I know."

* * * * * * * * * *

The wind brushed along his wings as he beat them frantically. He was falling, falling in the darkness that ate him up as he plummeted. The ground was rushing up to meet him, and Ace could already feel the wealth of pain it would bring him. He closed his eyes for the contact, the sudden death that would await him…

"Dad!"

Sparkles was suddenly floating in the space next to Ace, his legs kicking in every direction possible, his wings fluttering. Ace pulled up out of the dive twitching.

"What?"

Sparkles turned. "I don't think we can afford to give Rylin any more time."

Ace followed Sparkles' gaze.

A huge tornado was swirling on the horizon, far, far away. But Ace could still see the damage it was dealing, the houses it was crushing, and the people it was killing. It was the biggest he had seen in his immortal lifetime. No _normal_ tornado could be that powerful. And at the center of all the turmoil, if he squinted, he could see…

"Typhon." Sparkles said. "He's back."

Ace kicked out at the air angrily. He buffeted the air with his wings, Sparkles trembling like a leaf in the aftershock as the wind generated off of Ace's wings blew over him.

"Blackjack. We have to warn him!" Sparkles whinnied, backing away. Blackjack was his uncle and Ace's brother, the one who lived at Camp Halfblood with the demigods. The black Pegasus was already hovering excitedly, facing east.

Ace looked down at the cave mouth that Rylin had disappeared into.

_I'll be back to rescue you, Rylin._ Ace vowed. _We all will._

And then, for the first time in centuries, he turned his back on the only one who had ever called him friend.

* * * * * * * * * *

"I hope you know what you're doing." His brother murmured quietly beside him. The leaves crackled gently under their feet as they moved quickly through the forest, the trees whipping by. He halted and stared at his brother in surprise.

"Of course I do, Ben," Max Perry said.

"Trusting Lyss has always been difficult for me," Ben explained uneasily. "Especially when she tried to kill Rylin all those years ago." He leaned against a tree, his expression turning to one of anxiety. "Let me ask you this; are we doing the right thing?"

Max's face was in shadow, so he couldn't quite tell, but it looked like it shifted into a smile. Ben still felt the unease deep inside himself, even at his brother's reassurance. This was Max's first day back, and they had spent an eon apart. What if he didn't know Max as well anymore? What if he was following Max to his own death and the destruction of the world?

"We have to be, Ben. This is what the prophecy was about all those years ago, before me and before you, before Lyss, and even before Rylin was born. Kronos will keep going until we stop him." Max's eyes glowed dimly. "And we both know that the only ones who can do it are us."

Ben felt like protesting, fighting hard against what he knew was their destiny. But he had long ago learned not to fight what you couldn't help. And this was just one of those things that was so far out of his reach that he had no control. But the thought that one of them would never return continued to haunt him in the corners of his mind. He may not trust Lyss, but he trusted Max. He would bring all of them out of this safely, of that Ben was sure. However, now wasn't the time for doubts…

He pulled the sword from its sheath, the blade glimmering in the moonlight.

"For Rylin."

"For Rylin." Max agreed.

A second later all that was left of the two sons of Zeus was a rustling of leaves that stirred in their wake as they raced.

To save a dying world.

* * * * * * * * * *

Peleus looked up at the quickly darkening sky, smoke trailing out of his nose along the ground. The dragon was curled up around the tree that had once been Thalia, daughter of Zeus. The Golden Fleece hung above his head, casting a golden light that radiated softly over the guardian as he sat watching, just as he had for the last three years.

The dragon wasn't fazed by the peacefulness of the camp. The Horse-Man had warned him of the Time Keeper that would attempt to cross the border, of the horrid scent of monsters that would wreath about his head and cause him to gag. Peleus was as ready as he would ever be, and that, that was what caused the problem in the first place.

Suddenly mist covered everything, obstructing the dragon's vision and ominously blocking out the moon. The Golden Fleece seemed to blow in the breeze.

There was no breeze.

"Sleep, young guardian. All of this will be over soon." A voice said soothingly, echoing from everywhere and nowhere.

_Sleep, sleep._ Voices whispered gently, only to him. _Sleep._

Peleus obediently lowered his head. Then froze as he saw the figure appear out of the mist, stepping delicately toward him and the tree. A cloak extended down to the ground, giving the figure the appearance of gliding just a few inches above the ground. Peleus's heart pounded hard in his chest. He roared threateningly, forcing himself to stand up, his legs trembling with the effort. His tail whipped angrily across the ground, thudding against the tree.

"I said sleep!" The voice roared. Peleus crumpled to the ground, his golden coat speckled with dust. The Golden Fleece stood guard over him now, its faint light all that protected everything that he had ever known. The dragon was asleep before he hit the ground.

The figure stepped over him, reaching for the Fleece. It slid quietly and helplessly from the branch into the hands of the Titan.

"Here we come, Chiron." Kronos whispered.

* * * * * * * * * *

And so the Guardian falls.


	11. Things Are Not As They Seem

WHOOP! I absolutely LOVE reviews! Here's the new and improved list of all my best friends: tlover13, ausumist, tridentbonez313, Misthorse9 (the other author on my account), wowzerss, Frankie-JaymeENGLISHPROUD, yama's warrior, Unsigned. For Now, and the newest to join the team (whose name, ironically, makes me long for a popsicle) AdDiCDtEdxToxPoPsIcLeS.

Anyway, Disclaimer: yada yada yada I do not own, yada yada.

I'm gonna apologize beforehand for the possible confusion over this chapter. It is a little _sudden_, and I wouldn't be surprised if you just sit there and mull it over. But don't worry, Rylin's just as confused as you are :D

* * * * * * * * * *

One of the best things about being a ghost?

I was transparent. I could float right through walls, scaring the living daylights out of anyone on the other side of them; I could fly (not that that wasn't possible _before_), AND I had a killer power that blinded everyone within a couple feet of me if the sunlight hit my transparent body just right. Not that any of that stuff helped with what Nico wanted me to do. Man, I was really beginning to wonder why I had trusted him in the first place. The guy was a stone cold _psycho_.

But ironically, that was what had drawn me to him in the first place.

So as I looked down from my perch high in the pine tree, trying desperately to not breathe in the sap, I was NOT surprised. I had never imagined in my wildest dreams that I'd be helping save the world as a ghost, or that the role I'd have would be of a scout, not a hero.

The suspense was _killing _me.

Couldn't Kronos just show up already? My legs and neck were beginning to cramp up (not really), and I felt just a little bit tense. The great war was on the horizon, and I was stuck as a ghost doing scout duty on possibly the most boring part of the forest.

The breeze rustled the branches around me, swirling through my transparent body. I tasted a slight metallic scent to it, recognizing the effect from the last battle of the Titans. War was on the horizon, and I was stuck with doing nothing for once.

I was too late to notice that the forest had fallen eerily quiet.

_Crack_.

Slowly I raised my head. The sound of soft, muffled feet scuffling across the ground drifted up to me. I flashed down to the ground, the branches sinking right through my body, landing in shadow. I leaned back against a tree as a figure approached, a dark cloak and hood hiding his or her face. My eyes fell on the sheath hanging from the intruder's back.

In a second I had launched myself across the clearing fiercely, knocking the hood off with the back of my hand. My eyes widened as I found myself looking into the soulless eyes.

"Hello, Rylin."

* * * * * * * * * *

The sword fell from her hands as she gasped for breath, the hand tightening around her throat. All the air was being driven from her lungs, fire burning in her chest as she struggled, her legs unable to even touch the ground. She could feel his nails digging into her skin; soon the pain was disappearing, as well as her ability to feel anything at all…

"Let go of my sister," hissed a voice somewhere to her right. Suddenly the pressure disappeared and a voice was whispering frantically to her.

"Bianca? Bianca, say something!"

Her throat burning, her head throbbing, she barely managed. "I'm fine, Nico," she said hoarsely. She heard his sigh of relief, feeling his body instantly relax next to her.

"Thank the gods," he said. "I was just about to get violent."

She grinned, opening her eyes. Nico was sitting in front of her, smiling broadly back at her. She soaked it in gratefully, knowing that he rarely showed this sort of emotion, completely reveling in it. That was when her gaze slid past him, and her joy in being alive was immediately frozen in dread.

She was leaning against the bed, of that she was sure. Because everything else was in her view, and even in seventy five years the layout of the suite still remained unchanged…

The Black Lotus Hotel.

Her head whipping around, she drew in a single sharp intake of breath. Nico's eyes widened and soon he had launched himself to his feet, his expression wild with fear. Bianca linked eyes with him, knowing the look in his eyes was only a reflection of her own.

"What the heck are we doing here?" Nico hissed.

She looked around the room, her stomach sinking. In that instant, all Bianca's Hunter training flowed back to her, and she finally recognized the room for what it was.

"It's an illusion," Bianca whispered in horror, her eyes staring into Nico's.

Terrified recognition slowly dawned on him. "Only Morpheus controls illusions." As soon as the words were out of his mouth Bianca's dropped open.

"The invasion! It's already started!"

"But-"

"We need to get out of this illusion! Now!"

"We can't," Nico replied quietly.

Bianca felt like she was forgetting something important. "Why?"

"Because illusions can only be broken from the outside."

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Annabeth!" Percy cried. His hand was inches from hers; she was barely clinging to the rock face, her grey eyes wide with terror. The river Styx roared beneath them, the water lapping hungrily just below Annabeth's ankles.

"Let me go, Percy!" Annabeth yelled back. Tears were streaming down her face. "I can't let you die too."

"You don't know that I will," Percy whispered intently, staring into her eyes and forcing her to calm down. His voice grew stronger. "I'm not leaving you."

_Then I will make you, _a horrid voice whispered in his mind.

_Prepare yourself to die, Percy Jackson._

_* * * * * * * * * *  
_

My teeth gritted together, my eyes flaming in hatred.

"Get AWAY from me!" I snarled venomously, throwing myself back from her as if the sight burned my eyes.

She looked hurt, to tell the truth. Her black eyes were resigned, her dark hair waving lightly in the breeze that I was unconsciously creating. The cloak brushed against the ground, flapping against the tree, cutting through the silence as we stared at each other.

"I guess I deserve that," she murmured quietly. "But could we continue this later?"

"No," I said shortly, my hatred still lingering. "We'll do it now."

My tone left no room for disagreement.

"Ryley," Alyssa's voice was suddenly sharp. "Your friends are in trouble."

"Who needs friends?" I sneered. "All they manage to do is stab you in the back." The only thing I could focus on was what she had done to me, all those years ago. She had completely destroyed my life. Rage was surging through me at the very sight of Hades' daughter, a fiery sort of rage that egged me on, making me do things I wouldn't normally do.

"You know that's not true," Alyssa's voice returned to the quiet it had been before, which somehow made me even madder. "What about Max? What about…what about Ben?" Her voice trembled.

"He's further away then ever," I said coldly. "For forty years he hasn't cared. And neither have you."

"That isn't true!" Alyssa was suddenly crying. "That was NEVER true!"

"Oh yeah? I distinctly remember you trying to kill me! Is that reason enough for you?" I shot back, blinking furiously to clear my eyes. "Or was that a mistake too?"

Alyssa looked away into the forest, the wind roaring.

"What are you doing here, Alyssa?" I asked icily after a few moments. "Come to rub it in? That you're alive and I finally got what I deserved?"

"No," she replied, and her voice drew my eyes to hers. I stared in surprise as she stepped toward me, an expression on her face that I'd never seen before. "I'm here to give you something that belongs to you."

"What could you possibly have to give to me?" I was full of spite.

And before I could stop her, her hand thrust through my transparent body, right where my heart had once been. Heat flooded from her hand, rushing through my veins like wildfire. The shock of the sudden warmth melted me, and I could feel everything again. To my astonishment, I was whole again. The ground solid beneath my feet, the cool wind on my face, my heart beating…

My HEART.

"My life," Alyssa whispered solemnly, her eyes locked forever on mine.

I stared in shock at her, and by the time I had found my voice, it was too late.

_Three hundred years too late._

* * * * * * * * * *

Does that answer your question, ausumist? Alyssa and Max=good :) Yay! And YES, Percy and Annabeth are also in an illusion, though Percy has no idea that they're not about to die. The only ones who have any clue at all are Nico and Bianca.

Please R&R and tell me what you think!


	12. The Betrayer Betrays Me

I can't help but love this chapter; I spent most of my time dreaming of how it would turn out. Thanks to all for reviewing- hey, it's been one heck of a ride for me, and I'm enjoying it as much as I can, but unfortunately Falling Star is coming to a close…at the most there's maybe three chapters left.

Disclaimer: Nope. In my dreams.

* * * * * * * * * *

I couldn't tear my eyes away from Lyss's face.

All those years, and I had always thought she was hatching yet another plot to destroy me; never in my lifetime would I have ever thought she was going to save me. I couldn't help the tears streaking down my face silently at her broken body, thinking of how in all those years I had never found it in my heart to forgive her. I couldn't help wishing I had seen her sooner, to let her know that I would finally be able to forgive and forget.

Then I remembered. I was back in business, baby. I had gotten my life back, and Lyss had said that my friends were in danger.

Not if I had anything to say about it.

I took one more meaningful look down at Alyssa, lying quietly down on the ground, her eyes closed. She had been my best friend once, you know…

Her cloak fluttered in the breeze. I reached out and grabbed it, wrapping it around myself for no apparent reason. I fixed the buttons, feeling strength surge through me angrily.

Then I whipped around, my heart hardening. Kronos had caused all of this, and now he was going to pay. And as I walked out of the clearing, the fire in my eyes rekindling instantly, I never looked back. All that mattered was the _now._

And this time, I was going to put a stop to all of this once and for all.

* * * * * * * * * *

The trees flew by me, being fueled by my mounting anger and a new inner strength that seemed to come from everywhere. The forest was giving me its energy; the birds twittered eagerly above my head as they streaked along, the leaves rustled with a new-found impatience, and the animals scampered alongside me on the ground.

At last I arrived. The cabins were standing empty, all twelve of them lined up in two neat little rows. It was like a ghost town, the wind the only noise I could hear. But I knew better than that.

"Morpheus," I said loudly. "Stop hiding. I know you're here."

"Ah, so I am," He hissed smoothly, suddenly appearing. He was carelessly leaning up against Hera's cabin, the wind ruffling his dark, unkempt hair. His dark eyes were like deep, bottomless pits, and I couldn't even begin to fathom what expression was in them. "Very good, Rylin."

I stared expressionlessly at him, my eyes burning. "Where are they?"

"Now Rylin," Morpheus said, holding up his hands, "You know that's not the way it goes. Use your manners."

"Okay," I snarled, losing all patience. My nails bit into my hands as I curled them up into fists. "Tell me where my friends are, you scumbag."

"I warned you," he shook his finger at me.

I felt the sleepiness overtake me in one bound, feeling the raw power he was trying to force on me. He had put in enough to put Zeus to sleep for at least a century. I wasn't fazed. I shook it off like a duck shedding water, a smug grin on my face.

"What?" I asked innocently, fluttering my eyelids. "Were you trying something?"

He scowled, and I laughed. "Face it, Morpheus. You're outmatched AND outclassed," I grinned. "You can always let my friends go."

"Forget it," was his cold reply. "It isn't going to happen."

"You asked for it," I whispered.

I turned my eyes up to the sky, closing them gently. I thought of the rain, the light taste of it against my skin, the sizzling electricity that would follow the thunder. And Zeus reluctantly let me do it, clearly only because Thalia was in danger.

Dark clouds boiled above my head, thunder rebounding in the distance. The storm coiled up above me, a huge fork of lightning cutting through the air down to me, surging over my head toward Morpheus, who had a look of humorous shock on his face.

"That's new," he muttered as he held his hand out. The electricity was sucked in as he absorbed the jolt, looking thoughtful.

Exhaustion tugged at me, as he tried yet again to lure me into sleep. Apparently he had put more of a punch into this one, but it was still within my reach to shake it off. But it was slightly harder this time.

The animals surged through the forest on either side of me, growling and snarling together. A wolf tore away from my side, dashing through the rain to launch himself at Morpheus, his pack on his heels. I watched, filled with sorrow at all the lives that would be snuffed out by the end of this war.

The first wolf fell at Morpheus' feet, his head laid against the ground, dozing off. But there were too many for the Titan to throw into the realm of dreams, and soon he was overwhelmed. I delicately stepped toward him, my eyes furious as I looked over my casualties. Then I returned my gaze to his, beckoning the wolves away. They backed off, their eyes wild and their fangs bared.

"My friends, if you will, Morpheus."

"Never," he spat. I gestured toward the wolves; they stepped back up, circling Morpheus for the kill. I watched, satisfied. The rain drizzled down my face, my hair freely tumbling down my back.

"Please, Morpheus," I gave him one last chance. "Kronos wouldn't be very happy with you if you got killed before the Great War." I watched him closely, feeling the teeniest bit of sympathy at the collage of emotions that were flitting across his face. Obviously Kronos only cared for his brother's powers and didn't care a whit about his wellbeing.

"You will regret this, I promise you," Morpheus said icily as he faded from inside the ring of wolves. I heard cries of pain, and when I looked up from the place where Morpheus had disappeared, I saw kids everywhere, all of their frightened eyes focused on me.

"Ryley!" Percy yelled, shoving his way through the crowd. To my surprise, he grinned broadly at me, a pretty blonde girl pushing her way behind him.

My eyes widened as I searched through the crowd, a dull ache settling into my stomach. I bit my lip anxiously. Where were they? Had Kronos gotten to them first?

"Nice job," a quiet voice said behind me. I whipped around, practically scared out of my wits. The dull ache was fast disappearing, my heart doing somersaults instead inside my chest. My eyes fell on Nico's, surprised to see affection there. His black hair was ruffled, a cut just under his left eye, but he looked perfectly fine. My eyes reluctantly left him to examine Bianca, who was standing right beside him, her eyes shining.

"RYLEY!" she shouted, giving me a fierce hug around my neck. Her voice cracked about halfway through, and Nico and I looked at her in concern. I gently pried her arms off me, glancing casually at her throat. It was bruised, and I thought I could detect a hand print.

I looked anxiously back at Nico.

"Someone tried to strangle her," he murmured, taking his own look at his sister's yellow and purple throat. "I stopped them just in time."

"About time you showed up," Thalia grumbled, appearing out of nowhere. She was glaring at me, her hand resting on her spear. She was also unharmed, but looked furious, her eyes blazing.

"You're just lucky she decided to intervene, Thalia," said another voice. I was surprised, yet again, as a red head bobbed through the crowd.

"Rachel!" I cried delightedly.

The Oracle was beaming at me, her green eyes glowing. Then they dropped abruptly, and we were graced with the real Oracle's presence. Her glittering black eyes surveyed each of us in turn, at last they gazed at me.

"The War hasn't even begun, Rylin. So get off your butt and get the demigods ready," She grinned, baring her sharp teeth at me. "Kronos is none too happy with you, daughter of Pan."

"When has he ever been?" I muttered, staring at the ground. "It's always been back and forth with the two of us, others always getting caught in the middle."

"What can I say? You guys have history," Max's voice said.

My head shot up. "Max…?" I whispered.

"Over here," he called, his voice sounded faded. I turned to the forest, my eyes widening. He stood there quietly, his extraordinary blue eyes full of amusement. Ben was next to him, leaning against the tree uncertainly. Both of them were watching me, their faces in shadow. And behind them, standing with her arms crossed, her green eyes flickering in the sun, throwing her face into the light was…

Hanna.

"HANNA!" I yelled, my lungs practically bursting. I launched myself through the air, past the crowd, dashing with all my energy. Hanna caught me in a huge hug, swinging me around. Max and Ben laughed, their auras bursting into color around me.

"I thought you died a long time ago," I said to her in shock. "What happened?"

Hanna grinned. "I've become somewhat of a legend among mortals. I don't grow older. Gives the doctors migraines, trying to think about what's wrong with me."

"And you guys!" I whipped around to catch Max and Ben in the act of sniggering. "Helping Lyss! You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" Beyond them I saw all of the demigods watching us, a strange look on their faces.

I caught Nico's eye and waved him over. He hesitantly looked at Bianca, then set off across the meadow toward us. Rachel caught on and dragged Thalia with her; Percy and the pretty girl followed, their interlocked hands swinging between them. I laughed at the look of indignation on Thalia's face.

"Thalia and Percy," I said, a smug grin crossing my face, "Meet your stepbrothers and stepsister. Thalia, Max and Ben. Percy, Hanna."

All of them looked at each other, and similar smiles broke across Percy's and Hanna's faces. Rachel, to my relief, had become herself again, and I looked around as they all greeted each other.

"Nico and Bianca," I said sadly, "Alyssa died giving me my life back. She was your stepsister."

Max fixed me in an emotionless gaze. "Lyss…dead? You killed her?"

I stepped back instinctively. A cold feeling of déjà vu swam over me, Ben looking shocked at his brother's behavior. I glared at Max's icy eyes.

"I didn't kill her," I said defiantly. "She gave me her life."

Ben held out his arm to stop Max from stepping forward. "Think about what you're accusing Rylin of, Max! Rylin could have killed Lyss years ago, but she didn't. Just listen to her!"

Whether it was Ben's touch or his words, Max shook himself, his eyes blossoming back into himself. "Sorry, Ryley. I just can't believe she's dead…" His voice trailed off as a deadened, haunted look took over his face.

"I know you were in love with her, Max," I murmured, ignoring the demigods' hushed mumbling and focusing on Max. I hesitantly put my hand on his shoulder, and to my surprise, he picked me up in a bone crushing hug.

"And she was your best friend," Max whispered into my hair. "I've forgotten over the years how close you guys were. All she could think about for the last forty years was you."

I was speechless, but Max continued. "And if you'll have us, Hanna, Ben and I are here to help."

He held me at arm's length, his eyes looking deep into mine, misinterpreting my pause. "I'd understand if you didn't want-"he added quickly.

"Are you kidding?!" I burst out, everybody looking at me with wide eyes. "You think I want to face Kronos' army with just this lot? Are you insane?!!"

A warm smile spread across his face, but before he could speak, Hanna was yelling "Group hug!!" just like she used to and everybody was piling on top of us, pressing me against Max. Nico was on my other side, looking at me with hollow eyes. I met his gaze questioningly.

Finally everyone let go, and I caught sight of Nico walking away, his head down.

"Scuse me," I muttered to Max, and he dropped his arm from around me as soon as he saw where I was looking.

I walked quickly after him, my feet making no sound against the forest floor. No animals followed me now; they all seemed to sense that I wanted to be alone. His hands in his pockets, Nico halted, turning around to face me.

"What's wrong, Nico?" I asked quietly.

"As if you don't know," he said, his voice just as hurt as his expression. Understanding hit me like a lightning bolt, and my eyes widened in surprise. Before I could help it, I had taken five quick steps forward, staring into his pitch black eyes.

"Max just lost Alyssa," I whispered. "He loves her, not me."

Nico's eyes broke away. "Doesn't look that way."

I sighed, like a whisper on the wind. If jealousy was going to blind him, well, there wasn't much I could do. Except tell him.

"Do you remember that time in front of the cave? When we were about to go down to meet your dad, and I froze you for no good reason? Well I did have a reason." I paused, my blue eyes wandering now. I noticed how the sunlight sparkled off the leaves like dew, how the wind was gently ruffling my hair, how blue the sky was. My storm was far on the horizon.

I continued. "I didn't want you following me. I didn't want you to see me die. And if you were there, I wouldn't be able to convince myself to just give up, because that would have meant giving up _you_." I stopped again, aware of just how sappy that sounded. "The reason I froze you was because that was the moment I realized I was in love with you."

All the noise in the forest went silent. It continued for a long time.

_Why won't he say anything?_ I thought, my blood going instantly cold. I swallowed. In all my years of being alive, I had never been as nervous as I was now. _I bet he hates me now._

I couldn't even see his face, couldn't see his eyes which might give me a clue to what he was thinking. In battle, my instincts had always been the best because I knew how people would react to this attack, how they would block that one; but my instincts were giving me nothing here. I had no idea how Nico was feeling now, and that was what made me nervous.

Finally I made up my mind. If he was just going to ignore me, well, he'd have to suffer the consequences. I would go straight back to Max and do all I could to annoy Nico.

I turned away, giving him the cold shoulder for a second, and then in that second he spoke.

"Wait, Ryley."

I froze. Then a second later wondered why I was listening as hard as I could.

"_You're_ in love with _me_?" Oh crap. Why had I even said that I was?

I nodded, then realized he couldn't see me. "Yeah."

Nico still didn't turn around. The forest still sounded like it was completely devoid of life, but this time it was for a different reason.

I straightened up, forgetting Nico for just a second.

"Kronos is here." I narrowed my eyes, picking out dark shapes crawling through the forest. I grabbed Nico's hand, practically dragging him behind me.

"What are you doing?!" he spluttered before a particularly big dirt clot shut him up.

"Saving your ungrateful life," I snapped back.

We burst into the clearing, and I tripped, quite undignified, right over Nico's leg. I glared at him as I grabbed a hold of the nearest tree, hauling myself up. Everybody's eyes were on us.

"Kronos is here!" I announced loudly.

Suddenly all the demigods were scrambling, grabbing their weaponry and checking each other's armor. To my surprise nobody was panicking. Yet.

I waved at Bianca, trying to get her attention. She looked directly at me. "I can hold them off, but I need Aryryn!" She nodded, her eyes earnest. I turned to Max and Ben and Hanna.

"I need you guys to help me out too."

"Just like old times, eh?" Ben flashed a smile, his spear appearing immediately out of nowhere in his right hand. Max pulled his double-edged sword an inch out of the sheath, wearing a grin identical to Ben's. Hanna leaned against Ben, her elbow on his shoulder.

"What about us?" Percy asked as he raced up, Thalia and the blonde girl at his shoulder.

I studied them thoughtfully. Percy was gripping Riptide so hard his fingers were starting to turn white; Thalia's expression told me she didn't care what I was going to say, she'd do the exact opposite; and the blonde girl's grey eyes were hardening, like she had plenty of experience in battle.

"Is Ares' cabin here?" I asked, randomly remembering that they were supposed to be the most skilled in war.

"You bet we are," A dark haired girl said, an electric spear glowing in her hand. A gang of tough kids were standing behind her, all holding their weapons at the ready. "What about it?"

"Clarisse," Percy sighed.

The girl gave him a venomous glare before turning back to me.

"I need you to back us up," I said, gesturing to myself, Max, Ben and Hanna. "You'll be joining Percy, Thalia, Bianca, and, er…" I looked at the blonde.

"Annabeth," she said, smiling hesitantly at me. "My name is Annabeth."

I smiled back and opened my mouth to speak, but was interrupted.

"What about me?"

I looked down; Nico was still sitting on the ground, glaring at me. I stared right back, my muscles tensing. "What about you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I can fight too."

"Fine," I said, slightly reluctant to put him in any danger. I could put him with Bianca; she would do all she could to protect him. "You can join Bianca."

Nico nodded, satisfied; his eyes darkening, if that was even possible.

"Ryley! Heads up!" Bianca called as she tossed me Aryryn's sheath. I caught it, feeling the surge of excitement the sword shot me. I slung it over my shoulder, my eyes narrowing in determination. I nodded at Max.

"Time to go," I said, whipping around, looking quickly over the camp. There were still a couple of stragglers, but for the most part the entire camp had gathered behind me, their faces showing no fear, only determination to protect their camp. "I'll call you when I need you," I said to Percy, before setting off into the forest, my old friends following.

"You nervous?" I heard Ben ask Hanna in an undertone. She nodded bravely.

"This is the first time in forty years I've headed off to battle," she muttered. "Hope I live to see the next sunrise."

"Don't worry; you will," Ben said confidently, and to my surprise he kissed her gently. I looked at Max, whose blue eyes were watching me lazily. I could see my reflection in his eyes, my own wide with shock.

"Believes in love at first sight, the idiot," Max said affectionately, casting a glance at his brother. "But that went away the moment he actually spent some time with her. Fell in real love then."

I grinned. "Was that how it was for you and Lyss?"

He looked down at the ground. "Yeah." He didn't sound so sure. I felt confusion ripple through me for a second, then I focused my eyes on his again.

"You liar," I said smoothly. "You've been in love with her forever."

"Not at first I wasn't," he admitted uneasily as we strolled (yeah right) through the forest. "She scared me. And at the time, the only two girls I knew were her and you…"

"Oh no way!" I snorted, then stopped at the look on his face.

"I was different back then," he commented quietly. "So were you. Did you know it's possible for a person to fall in love more than once in a lifetime?"

"No," I lied. This conversation was beginning to be a little uncomfortable. I couldn't imagine falling in love with anyone but Nico, but I wondered if my life had gone in a different direction, could I have fallen in love with Max instead?

"Yes, it is. I have."

"With who?" I asked, surprised. "The tooth fairy?"

This time he was the one who snorted.

"I remember you when you were younger," I warned jokingly. "It's no laughing matter."

Then he looked at me solemnly.

"With you." Heck no. Don't do this to me, Max… The look in his eyes was a faraway look, as if memories kept coming back to him. His blue eyes were shining. I hated to burst his bubble, but…

"If you haven't noticed, in the eight years I traveled with you, I've never mentioned an unconditional love for you," I muttered, adjusting Aryryn on my back, my fingers shaking.

"Who said anything about unconditional?" Max snapped back playfully. It seemed like he thought I had some hidden love for him somewhere. Maybe I did, and that was what making me so grouchy.

I ignored him, suddenly focusing on the forest. Not a sound.

"Get down," Max hissed in my ear, pulling me down beside him. I fell obediently on my stomach. Ben and Hanna crouched down behind us.

"Come out, Ryley," Kronos' voice broke the silence. "Be brave for once in your life…"

I shook Max off and rolled away from him. "Wait!" he growled.

I was shaking when I stood up, drawing Aryryn in one stroke. The blade glittered, and suddenly the forest exploded around me.

The birds twittered angrily, shrieking loudly as they dove toward the Titan. The ground cracked under my feet, zigzagging toward Kronos, shuddering. It was then that I noticed that we weren't alone.

Hundreds of demons were facing me, their mouths erupting into malicious leers and snarls. Their eyes glowed evilly in the semi-darkness, as red as blood.

"So this is all the demigods can spare," Kronos laughed coldly. "Just you. Again."

"You never seem to be able to handle me alone anyway," I pointed out, Aryryn's point quivering. "This is just like Athens all over again."

"Not quite, Rylin," A voice whispered behind me. I whipped around.

Chiron was pointing an arrow directly at me, the centaur pawing the ground with his back hooves. My old teacher looked exactly as he had all those years ago. Except his once black hair had turned to gray. I couldn't help it; my eyes widened hugely to the size of dinner plates.

"What are you doing?" I spat.

I heard Kronos chuckle quietly behind me. "My son has finally realized where his loyalties lie. With his father."

Chiron was the betrayer? I felt my eyebrows go up in shock, then I slowly lowered them, narrowing my eyes.

"Alright. We'll see how much has changed," I said, taking a step forward, Aryryn pointed at his heart. "We'll see whether the student has become the master."

I intentionally avoided looking at Max and the others, instead fixing my eyes on Chiron. He looked hesitantly at Kronos, who nodded encouragingly. The centaur's eyes hardened as he turned back to me, instantly releasing the arrow. It sped at me, and I could have sworn it burst into flame as it came within five feet of me. But I wasn't looking at it; I was already dodging, the shaft bouncing neatly off Aryryn and zooming back twice as fast at my old teacher. A satisfying look of surprise flitted across his face before the mask came back as he plucked it out of the air.

At my command, Aryryn burst into flames, the blade racing with tongues of fire that lapped at it angrily. The ground shuddered beneath me as the crack came zigzagging back around from Kronos to Chiron.

"All I want to know is why," I murmured quietly behind him, my glowing blade raised. "Why you betrayed everything you've ever known."

"I haven't," Chiron said in a hoarse whisper. He wheeled around from me, and, setting an arrow to his bow, let it loose at his own father.

Kronos let out a loud bellow as the arrow halted in midair, exploding into a thousand shards that flew in every direction. He pointed at the pair of us, and in a gravelly voice said, "Get them."

The demons flew forward, and to my relief Max, Ben, and Hanna sprang up at my side. The first wave of demons crashed over us, and I forgot about everything as my instincts took over.

Aryryn cut down the first demon, then the second, their bodies disintegrating into dust. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Max's sword flash, instantly plowing through three giants at once. They showered him with dust, and as he launched himself forward at the next one to line up, he winked at me. I grinned briefly back, swinging my sword fiercely at a hellhound that was tracking my movements with its eyes. It let out a mournful howl that resounded even after its ashes had blown away in the wind. The flames dancing along Aryryn flared in the breeze, and in the light I could see the fear in my enemies' eyes.

Finally I had managed to cut a path after Max, and instantly saw where he was heading; straight at Kronos. There was no way I was going to let him beat me, so I pushed myself ever so gently off the ground, vaulting over a Cyclops's head. He swung a huge axe at me, managing to barely nick me along my arm. Aryryn flashed once; the head of the axe slid off the handle, the Cyclops twitching on the ground gripping his slit throat, right before he collapsed into dust. I landed lightly in a crouch, Aryryn poised to strike.

There was no need; my reinforcements had arrived.

Riptide was whirling around in Percy's hands as he neatly sliced through a hellhound; Thalia was a blur as she pounced, the spear barely visible in her hands as she swung it at a demon's head; Annabeth was dodging the fierce blows of a giant, his huge fists smashing into the ground repeatedly as he missed; Bianca and Nico were fending off two Cyclops, their blades sharp edged knives of flowing darkness.

I had caught up to Max; the demons made a ring around the two of us. I stumbled backward, and was surprised to feel his back against mine. Adrenline flowed through me, and I beckoned at the nearest demon; it flung itself at me, fangs bared. Sword met flesh in an instant, and soon I was being peppered in the face by little bits of demon. I danced tauntingly out of the remaining demons' reach; they hissed angrily and moved to the attack. Max's sword flashed in front of me, killing the rest. I glared at him.

"Those were mine."

"You snooze you lose," he shrugged, nonchalantly separating a giant's head from its body. He looked briefly into my eyes, just long enough for me to realize he was kidding, and suddenly he was off.

I moved to follow, but then I heard a cry.

Bianca was fighting hand to hand with a giant, leaning over the fallen body of someone who looked a lot like…

"Nico," I whispered brokenly.

_No._

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_

Gasp. Somebody call the ambulance!!!! Just kidding… *cough* I just ruined the atmosphere…

Well anyway, please R&R!!!!!


	13. The Zeus Vs Hades Fight All Over Again

Hola! Just added the finishing touches on this chappie this morning- hope you like it as much as the ones before! I'd like to thank all my faithful reviewers…you guys rock!

Disclaimer: No duh.

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Seconds later I was looking down at him, blinking away the tears in my eyes, hating myself with all my heart, wishing desperately that it could have been me instead of him…

Blood was pooling on his chest, and it looked like the giant had gotten him with an axe, the wound was so deep. I tore Alyssa's cloak off me, pressing it gently against the cut. I stared in horror down at his closed eyes. His ragged breathing was all I could hear, blocking out every other sound on the battlefield.

I barely noticed Bianca freeze, the giant seizing his opportunity. She fell to the ground, bleeding freely.

I whirled around, Aryryn slamming the giant across the head. He flew back fifty feet, crashing instantly into a tree. I watched, unseeing; as soon as he crumbled to dust, I turned my attention back to Nico.

"I'm not dead yet," he croaked, his eyes suddenly flying open. "Take care of my sister."

His voice accepted no refusal.

To my surprise, I leaned over him quickly, my lips brushing against his for a fraction of a second. I blushed for a moment at my own daring, relieved that he had closed his eyes again.

I turned quickly, but apparently not quick enough. "Thanks, Ryley," Nico breathed unconsciously, his breathing returning to normal to my relief.

I focused my eyes on Bianca. It looked to me like something was broken. There was no blood, she was just extremely pale. My hands were shaking as I pressed gently against her stomach; she let out a cry of intense pain.

"I'm sorry, Bianca," I whimpered. "Sorry."

I was torn, the two sides of me arguing. On one hand, I was in love with Nico; I couldn't just let him die if it was in my power to save him. On the other, I couldn't help but think of Bianca as the sister I had never had; she had always been there for me. I wanted so desperately to save both of them, but if I had to choose one of them…?

Suddenly someone shouldered me to the side. "Leave her to me."

Who…?

Artemis grinned at me, her teeth sparkling. "You've done enough, daughter of Pan. My thanks go to you for bringing Bianca back to me." The goddess hovered around her Hunter, and I watched, overcome with awe, as Artemis' Hunters made a protective circle around us. Thalia was at their head, looking pleased with herself.

I gave Artemis a grateful smile, turning instantly back to Nico. He was looking slightly better; at least his breathing had returned to normal. Alyssa's cloak was soaked with blood, dripping slightly when I gently lifted it from the wound.

The wound had disappeared.

I widened my eyes at Alyssa's cloak, which was blowing innocently in the wind. There was no way…had Lyss known something like this would happen? I felt so amazed at the brilliance of Lyss's whole plan. She had brought Max back from the dead, found Ben, and somehow managed to convince him to find Hanna. She had then orchestrated my death like she was planning a party, returning to give me my life back.

Had all of this been her plan from the beginning? Was she more powerful than I had ever given her credit for?

I stared in wonder as Nico pushed himself up, my hand gripping Lyss's last gift tightly.

"So," he said quietly. "I believe I owe you for saving my life."

His black eyes were full to the brim of some unnamed emotion. I found myself entranced, frozen and hanging on his next words. But there weren't words to describe how I felt, or what was happening inside me. Time had stopped in its tracks; the only thing I could see at all was Nico. And I didn't want to see anything else.

Maybe at last I had found my place in the world.

* * * * * * * * * *

"No!" the Lord of the Sky's voice rebounded around the room. "I will NOT allow such madness."

"You are being blinded, brother, by your hatred. It has nothing to do with her, and yet you persist in your accusations!" Poseidon's voice grew stronger; this time a hint of anger weaved in between his words. "She has done all she could to try to earn your respect when it was her father that betrayed it in the first place! You are allowing this to scatter your judgment as it has before in the case of Hades' children."

Zeus shook his head furiously at his brother. "I will not allow this! I forbid it."

Athena's eyes were fiercely glowing. "With all respect, brother, we will go to war with or without your permission. Typhon has been awakened, and the matter is no longer entirely in the demigods' hands."

"Pan is dead, and yet you continue to blame the girl for her father's crimes." A voice said thoughtfully, menacingly. "You have no evidence to support that she has done anything wrong. Even now, your daughter is down there, helping out the girl. Perhaps we should do the same."

Hades walked casually out of the shadows, a floating apparition following in the form of a girl. "My own daughter says the same, don't you, Alyssa?"

The ghost nodded fervently. "Lord Zeus, Rylin has done nothing wrong. Please do not pile your blame on her; she already has her hands full fighting for your children."

Poseidon spoke again. "Perhaps you are thinking not only of Rylin's father, but also of her mother?" He gripped the trident, feeling a wave of fury fill him. Zeus could be so stubborn.

Alyssa sucked in a breath. _What?_

"The daughter of Pan doesn't know, does she?" Zeus said quietly, directing his question at Hades. "About her mother?"

"Of course not," he said smoothly. "That secret has long been buried. I have made sure of it."

"The Titans have been our enemies for so long," Athena murmured to herself. "We should make her the only exception. Look what she has done for us. Even now she's giving her life for the fight; look how fiercely she fights for the demigods, even though she is not one of them…"

Alyssa couldn't help it; her eyes widened. "Father," she whispered. "Rylin IS a demigod."

Hades looked at Zeus, who nodded at him. The Lord of the Dead fixed his eyes on his daughter.

"Not at all. She's a goddess." Hades explained, his dark eyes emotionless.

"That's why you wanted her soul so bad," Alyssa muttered. Then in a louder voice, she added, "Who was her mother, then?"

Zeus raised his eyebrows in surprise, gripping his lightning bolt in one hand.

"Why, Gaia, of course."

* * * * * * * * * *

I stared blankly at Nico, my heart doing cartwheels. _What the heck is wrong with me?_

As if he was thinking the same thing, he looked away, toward the figure of Artemis leaning over his sister. I caught a quick glance at his eyes as he turned; they were full of uncertainty.

"Nico," I sighed impatiently, "You still don't believe me, do you?"

"It is a bit hard," he admitted, and I saw how his eyes fell bitterly on the far away figure of Max, who was forcing his way through the crowd of demons toward us. I felt a surge of annoyance, and it must have flitted across my face, because Nico stared impassively at me.

"Max is just my friend," I insisted, turning my head. "You mean more to me than he does. And I'm gonna prove it to you." Aryryn lay across my lap, the blade gleaming in its own special way, the light flowing across Nico's face. He was so close…

He leaned in toward me, and I shivered, closing my eyes. I could feel his cool breath against my face, and anticipation spread through me. Nothing mattered anymore; the battle didn't matter, stopping Kronos didn't matter, Max didn't matter.

At last his lips gently pressed against mine. They were ice cold, burning lightly in a good way, sending waves of ecstasy through me. I had never been this happy. His forehead brushed mine, and as we broke apart, I looked deep into his eyes. He was still only inches away, and a numb feeling filled me at the thought of the war. What if he didn't come back…?

As if he was reading my mind, or reading my eyes as he had always been able to do, Nico moved closer to me again. "I'm not leaving you. The war can wait."

I met his gaze, feeling like I had betrayed him with my feelings. "I have to, Nico. I need to fight this war; I'm the only one who can stop Kronos. Well, besides-"

"Me," Max said calmly, plopping down next to me in the grass. "You're not gonna ditch me, are you, Rylin?"

I felt Nico open his mouth behind me; I elbowed him sharply. "No, you know I won't, Max. I've been waiting all my life for this." I toyed absentmindedly with Aryryn's strap. Max's gaze slid past me and rested on Nico, his blue eyes curiously devoid of emotion.

Suddenly Zeus's son leaned in close to me. "You're not seriously going to throw everything away for Alyssa's stepbrother?"

I looked at his eyes and saw the concern hidden there. "I love him, Max," I murmured. "And I'm only doing what you would have done for Alyssa. Not me. Lyss."

He recoiled back from me like I had stung him, and I heard Nico sigh with satisfaction behind me. I whirled angrily on him. "Couldn't you possibly be more sensitive?!"

Nico's voice was full of venom. "Not with him."

I turned back to Max, anxious to see how he was faring. But he was doing quite well on his own. His eyes were hardening into blue ships of ice as he glared at Nico. And that was when I realized who they looked like. Zeus and Hades had quarreled, long ago, but I had still been there to see it. And they had looked exactly like my two best friends; like at the first chance they had they would stab each other in the back.

I stood up abruptly, my eyes blazing angrily. "Could you guys possibly stop fighting?! We have enough going on without you two biting each other's heads off! If you won't stop for the war, then stop for me, before I go kill myself!"

I watched, fuming, as Nico made a valiant effort and failed. Meanwhile, Max had somewhat regained control of himself (and from one look told me it was entirely because I had threatened to kill myself) and was studying Nico coolly, like he was some interesting squashed bug he had found on the bottom of his shoe.

Nico's face was flickering. Finally he settled for an impassive expression that barely hid his loathing. I sent him a look. "Behave yourself," I hissed under my breath.

Max ignored Nico completely. "I'm going now," he informed me, his voice slightly icy. "With or without you."

I shot a quick glance at Nico. "I'm coming."

Nico looked grim, and suddenly I knew what he was going to say right before he said it.

"Count me in."

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Just so ya'll know, Gaia is the Titan of the earth and Kronos' mother- that makes Rylin his stepsister! Surprise surprise!

Whoop! Nico and Ryley and Max vs. Kronos! Couldn't get much better than this… R&R PLEASE OR I WON'T WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER.


	14. My Secret Bleeds Out

Welcome.

This is the thirteenth chapter of Falling Star. I love it, Rylin loves it, and Nico loves it.

Kronos doesn't.

Ho hum. I don't care about your opinion anyway, loser. Get outta here before I kick your butt.

Yeah. Sorry about that. Anyway, here I go. The Countdown has started, people.

Disclaimer: I'll get back to you on that.

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"Out of my way!" The Lord of Time snarled, practically kicking the telekhine out of his way. Raw anger roiled through him. Out of all his brothers and sisters, it was him that always ended up with the incompetent ones…

"But sir!" The telekhine squeaked hastily, quickly scurrying back out of hitting range, "The enemy approaches! None of our scouts have returned with their reports yet-"

"What a surprise," Kronos said savagely under his breath, his fingers itching to pull out Backbiter right then and there.

The telekhine plowed on, either completely ignorant, or filled with a wary terror. "-and we are currently having problems with our defense-"

"Like what?" Kronos' tone was quiet.

The telekhine turned a sickly shade of green. "The girl is approaching, accompanied by the son of Zeus and the son of Hades." He watched the Titan carefully- there seemed to be no suspicious signs of his oncoming rage- and minutely relaxed. It was the wrong thing to do.

"What are you waiting for? Get back out there!" Kronos growled menacingly, thrusting the telekhine out of the shelter of the trees. He was immediately set upon by a demigod, who proceeded to neatly slice him in half, the dust scattering on the wind.

The Titan surveyed the battlefield, satisfied; the demigods were being overrun, and it was about time for him and his siblings to interfere.

His eyes fell on the horizon, and he was filled with a sudden longing desire that bit angrily at his self-control. He wanted to go out _now_, wanted to find her; she was the only one who could fill the empty part of his heart, the part that fought inside him. Only she could fulfill his desire for a worthy opponent in battle, fill his lust for bloodshed.

And the fact that she was his sister made him look forward to it more than ever.

The Lord of Time focused his gaze on the rising sun, willing time to speed up. All the figures around him froze as he slowly raised his hand toward the sun, reaching out like he was attempting to pluck the very sun from where it was slipping out into the sky. She would come, he knew.

They always did.

* * * * * * * * * *

The entrance of the gods was terrific.

At least _I _thought so, anyway. Max and Nico didn't show a single shred of incredulity on their faces as they stood on either side of me. A feeling of déjà vu rocked my head, the memory of the long ago battle of the Titans racing through my head in slow mo.

Poseidon erupted from the lake, tons of the water slipping and sliding down the god as he rose slowly, gripping the trident tightly in his hands. The look on his face was mildly interested as he examined the raging battle with one eye. Zeus popped into existence across the lake behind his brother in all his battle finery, his master bolt held to the sky. I bit my lip at how fierce he looked. _I'm certainly glad we're fighting on the same side again._

The ground rumbled beneath us, sending tremors rolling across the camp. I slowed them down around Max, Nico, and me, all of us managing to keep standing upright. All the demigods around us weren't as lucky, though. I saw Bianca across the clearing, protecting as many as she could, and a fiery feeling of affection welled up in my heart. Despite myself, despite all I had ever gone through, here I was finally beginning to trust again.

My father would have been proud.

Finally the earthquake stopped, and I felt Nico stiffen next to me. Max's hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, tension pouring from the both of them. I rolled my eyes.

"Your father doesn't scare me, Nico," I said fiercely. "Not anymore, anyway."

"And _I_ thought you'd never felt fear before, Rylin Becker." Hades said coolly. "How wrong we all are."

I felt Nico freeze next to me. I turned slowly, arranging my expression from surprised to rather bored. I felt Aryryn pulsing heartily against my back. _The party's all here. _"Hello, Hades."

His face was exactly like I had last seen it, arrogance etched into every line, his eyes narrowed. Cold and calculating, they washed over me, Max, and Nico standing together. He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"You never told me you'd made friends, Nico."

"You never asked," Nico said quietly, stiffly. I gently laced my fingers through his, and he gave a grateful squeeze as I saw him relax. "You didn't care."

"Too right I didn't," The Lord of the Dead muttered under his breath. "Ungrateful brat."

I flashed the god a grin that he ignored. "Aren't we trying to fight a war here?" Max interrupted, his blue eyes impassive. I looked quickly at him, but he avoided my gaze.

"Max," I whispered under my breath.

"What?" He was fidgeting, still avoiding looking at me like he was afraid I would turn him into stone. I reluctantly dropped Nico's hand, turning toward Max, leaving Nico alone to deal with his father.

"If you didn't want to come, you should have said so." I hardened my voice, lest it should suddenly crack. "We can't afford to own doubts anymore."

"I know," he said, and I winced at the rawness in his voice. What wasn't he telling me?

"We were born for this, you know. You and me and Lyss." I murmured, but if I had thought to reassure him, I was wrong.

"Like pigs being raised for slaughter," he growled, finally looking at me. "First Lyss. Then me. And then you'll die in the attempt, Ryley. All of us will. We're outnumbered. This is the one battle you can't win by yourself."

His eyes chilled me, running through my veins like ice, locked on mine. I couldn't look away.

"You need me." Max whispered, his face surprisingly vulnerable.

"No I-"

"Don't lie to yourself."

This time I was the one to look away. "I can't. I don't need _anyone._ How could you say that, Max?!" I snarled. _I can't need him. The only one I need is Nico. _I ran the thought through my head again and again, desperately trying to convince myself. I got more and more frantic as I realized it wasn't working, realized that Max had been working up to saying this for a long time. I shook my head, feeling anger spread through me.

There was only one answer. He was right.

The expectation in his eyes was overwhelming. I raised my face toward his reluctantly.

"What do you want from me, Max?" I said quietly.

He opened his mouth. But then I heard the cries loud and clear.

I shoved Max hard to the side, Aryryn heavy in my hand. The scythe rang hollowly against it, the sheer cold singing off the blade and traveling up my arm. I shook my right hard, but no matter what I did, I couldn't regain the feeling in it. I passed Aryryn over to my left hand, my eyes blazing.

"I suppose you couldn't wait."

"I've never been as patient as you, Rylin." Kronos grinned. "Just one of the things you're better at then me."

I could hear the demigods crowding around us. Hades muttered an oath as he turned to shadow, flowing across the clearing to join his brothers. _Coward._

The sun rose behind the Titan, bloody in its glory, just as it had been on the day I had fought in Athens, the fiery light spilling through the palace…

_Those watching had thought it to be a dance, a smooth, reassuring dance that was beautiful. So it was, in its very own deadly way. But they were mortals, only able to see what the Mist showed, only able to see what they wanted._

_The marble splintered beneath our feet. The very air was choking around us, and I could barely breathe without gasping. Dust bathed in the bloody light of the sun swirled around us as Kronos and I continued to dance, neither gaining, neither losing, the ancient Law keeping us in check. _

_He had turned his eyes to gold for the occasion; they glowed thirstily at me. He was the hunter, pursuing his prey with wild anger and dogged determination. The rapid movement of his scythe proved that. His swings were turning wild as he gradually became drunk with the hunt; with the ecstasy of what he thought was a winning battle, ending in a death. Mine._

_I stayed calm and collected, my eyes completely drained of anything that might give away my advantage. Aryryn easily parried every swinging blow, remaining firm and not weakening and slipping even an inch. I was reluctant to cut him; tired as I was of bloodshed and the loss of the many lives that day. Fighting was in my blood, and I hated it. _

_Loathed it, actually._

_A wild grin spread across Kronos' face as he swung hard at my head. Aryryn flashed up, blocking the blow, then slid sideways, slashing at his chest. I hit his face instead; ichor sprayed me on the forehead, running down my cheek._

"_You got me," Kronos said, his eyes widening. Then his grin was back. "Great!"_

_He really was insane._

_The palace was made of the finest marble, the doors strong in their foundations. However, the statues, alas, were not. They were made of stone, much to the horror of the priests as they later found out. I flung a statue of Heracles hard at Kronos; it caught him in the stomach, and he doubled over for a second. He straightened up with a look of smugness clinging to his handsome face._

"_It will take much more than-"_

_Achilles was much, much bigger, this time knocking him back against the carefully hand carved walls. I briefly flashed a smile as I twirled Aryryn. "What was that?"_

"_Nothing," he muttered, shaking the dazed look away._

_Zeus had to go._

_Kronos sank out of the hole in the wall, the pieces of the Sky god statue strewn all across the Great Hall around him. I eyed it appreciatively. "Zeus isn't gonna like that."_

_The Titan set his mouth in a scowl. "Shame on you."_

_I ignored him as Aryryn burst into flame, the fire swirling around my body like a tornado. The dust gathered with it, pelting him with little stones. He swung the scythe once; all the stones froze in mid air, falling to the ground like hail. I bit my lip as the water rose from the fountain set in the center of the hall, a huge wave roiling toward the Titan. I glared at him._

_He cut right through the center, making a small sliver through the wave that he could slip through. "My turn," he said, baring his teeth in a wolfy grin. _

_He cut a hole behind him with the scythe; demons poured from the gap, their eyes glowing bloody. I danced through the ranks; second later all that was left were piles of dust lined up in neat little rows. "Easier for the cleaning lady," was all I said. Kronos smirked._

_A second later he was behind me, and his scythe was slashing through the air downward toward my head…_

The cold bit into me, and I stared in shock down at the thin cut that spanned down my arm. Then I looked up at Kronos, looming over me with his golden eyes and his scythe bloodied. It was MY blood.

Except it wasn't red. The scythe looked like it had been dipped in molten gold, glowing and shining in the sun's morning light. It was ichor, the blood of the gods.

No way.

"No," I heard someone breathe in behind me. I froze, cuddling my arm to my body, barely clinging to Aryryn, ichor still seeping down my arm into my clothes. Ichor was for the gods; for the parents, not for the offspring. What was I doing with it running through my veins?

Kronos, for one, didn't look shocked at all. If anything, the madness in his eyes had grown.

"At last it comes out," he whispered in obvious delight. "By the gods, I thought it never would." His scythe was lightly gripped in his hand. "But I told myself that I would cut her a million times, force my blade in as hard as I could to discover the truth. And here it is."

"What the heck are you babbling on about, Kronos?" The person behind me said, and I felt someone press up against me. I sank gratefully against Nico, the coolness of him chasing away the stinging pain.

"Did you never wonder," the Titan said, "why she was immortal? How she could fight as she does and never get hurt? How she could be so powerful? I would have expected better from you demigods, what with your Oracle and all. Did she never tell you the mystery surrounding Pan's only daughter?" He raised his eyes to mine. He was reveling in all of this, I realized, disgusted.

"It never mattered before," someone else said quietly, stepping up on my other side. I took a deep breath. It was Max.

Kronos turned his gaze from me to him, and I felt a sudden urge to draw it back. The Titan was dangerous; he could kill Max in a second if he wanted to. And if I was being completely honest with myself, I didn't want that.

Max stared defiantly back at the Lord of Time. I began to feel helpless, still leaning against Nico and holding my arm. The feeling rose up and crushed me as I watched the two of them, blue against gold, staring each other down.

At last Kronos slid his gaze back to me. One side of Max's mouth quirked in a grin as he moved closer to me, eyes still resting on the Titan.

"Of course you wouldn't care, son of Zeus. You never had reason to take advantage of her." Kronos sneered. "But I'm sorry to tell you that Rylin isn't one of you. There's no reason to protect her anymore. She's one of _us_."

My knees buckled; Nico caught me, his eyes concerned. Then his gaze switched to Kronos, and he narrowed them in dislike.

"What do you mean?" Max asked shakily; he was having trouble masking his shock.

"He means," Zeus's voice echoed out from behind us, "that she isn't a demigod. Rylin is the daughter of Pan, but her mother wasn't mortal. Her mother was Gaia, the Titan goddess of the Earth."

"And that," Kronos said, a malicious grin on his face, "means you're a goddess, and also my stepsister."

A wave of fury crashed over me; in a second I was standing on my own, my knuckles beginning to crack from holding Aryryn so tightly. Strength surged through me.

The wind picked up, the sky turning grey with the coming storm. I almost let my powers loose, to trample that stupid smile right off the Titan's face, but then I remembered the demigods. What would happen if I lost control now?

I gritted my teeth. "You're no brother of mine," I spat. "Look at what you did to Hanna, just to get to me. I'm tired of trying to make you see sense, Kronos; this time I won't hold back."

He hefted Backbiter, a look of savage pleasure on his face. "Good."

"Nico," I whispered, not sparing a look behind me at him, " please get the demigods out of here. All of them. Max, could you help him for me?"

I heard only one pair of footsteps walking away.

"I've been waiting all my life for this too. You won't get rid of me that easily," Max breathed in my ear.

I turned away from him, avoiding his gaze. "It's your choice." I could barely feel Aryryn in my right hand, the numb feeling burning lightly through me. "But I had hoped you wouldn't say that." Kronos was staring impassively at us, tipping his head like he couldn't understand what was going on. I was surprised at his patience that he had always said he was lacking. That made him a liar as well.

"Maybe you do care after all," Max said breezily, gently sliding his sword out of the sheath across his back. His voice was guarded.

"I always have," I whispered to no one in particular. "You're like my brother."

"So sweet," Kronos said behind me. "Maybe you two can finally be together in the Underworld."

I dodged, Aryryn still held loosely in my hand. The scythe crashed uselessly in the dust where I had been standing, glittering wickedly at me. I hadn't expected Kronos to hold up that long. I leaned against an elm, watching casually as Max joined the fight, his sword a flashing arc. One slash spattered a nearby tree with golden ichor, the leaves looking like they had been carved out of actual gold. The demigod's movements were smooth and graceful, and I found myself looking at him against my will. Why did I have to choose this time to suddenly find myself liking him more than I should? I had just discovered myself to be in love with Nico, and that was who I should have been concentrating on.

Max was drawing on energy from the storm, his sword crackling along the blade with electricity. In turn he was taking my energy; the storm had to be fed by me in order to stay alive. It felt draining, but I was still surging with fury.

I was Kronos' STEPSISTER?! I still couldn't believe it, even though I had heard from Zeus himself. _Max and Ben's father._ Could I even trust him? He _hated _me. But the fact that I was a goddess suddenly explained a lot of things. If I had complete control of nature, that explained why everyone that I had cared about lived as long as I had. Lyss, Max, Ben, and Hanna had been alive for more than three hundred years. Well Max hadn't exactly been alive; he had been imprisoned in the Underworld since he was fifteen. But he had come out still looking exactly like he used to. None of the others had aged at all either.

And yet, why did I feel older than ever before?

The clearing was empty, save me, Max and Kronos. The forest hauntingly quiet, the only noise was of iron grinding on iron, of swords meeting in a flurry. I felt instinct boiling up under my skin, a red haze beginning to mist over my sight. _The urge to rip, to tear sinew from bone, skin from sinew, the instinct to hurt him as much as I could without a single thought for myself…_

"_Why don't you feel it?!" he hissed at me, his eyes narrowing. "With power like yours, you should revel in it, should use it to kill me. We are alike, dear Rylin, whether you wish to believe or not."_

"_My choice lies not with you," I replied simply. "It is mine, and mine alone. Look at yourself, Kronos!" I gave a bitter laugh. "Merciless, friendless, completely at odds with yourself. I didn't do this, Kronos. _You_ did_._"_

_I glanced down at Aryryn, tip bloodied in ichor, hovering over the Titan's chest. I felt myself trembling, shaken down to my very heart. He was laying spread eagled on the ground, his golden eyes looking me over calmly; he knew I didn't have the guts to kill him. His scythe lay where I had kicked it, ten feet away among the smoking ruins of the palace._

"_Kill me, dear sister, and you will finally belong. The gods will worship you, as right they should, for you are not from this world. They know not of what you hold in the palm of your hand, the power to unravel the universe."_

"_Lies, all lies." A voice whispered in my ear. "Kill him and be done with it."_

_Without ever me ever deciding, the sword plunged down, and I barely managed to avert it in time. Aryryn nicked Zeus' statue's head; it went spinning off into the darkness, the pieces exploding. "What are you doing to me?" I gasped, bending over and retching on the ground. "Do you want to die?"_

_One golden eye stared lazily at me. "Maybe."_

"_Don't lie to me," I growled again, raising Aryryn weakly. "Don't you dare."_

_He shrugged, closing his eyes. "Maybe I'm not."_

_My nails bit into my palms, blood seeping slowly out of my fist and dropping to the ground, like blood rain, staining the dirt. I stared at him in amazement. "You're giving up, Kronos?"_

"_When was the last time I beat you?" He said quietly. "Not a century ago, not two. I am fighting a losing battle even before we ever decide to begin. I will always be second best, as long as you're alive. My life has been all about battle from the moment I was born, driven as I was to attack my own father, and to restrain each and every one of my own children. Look what they have done to me now; do you not think that I am destined to be killed one day?"_

_I narrowed my eyes. "If you want to be killed, you came to the wrong place."_

_His eyes flew open. "What?"_

"_One day, when you're asking for it, I may decide to do away with you myself." I was backing away slowly, raising my hand to the sky. "You're too busy wallowing in self pity for me to kill you now. But until that time comes, you'll just have to wait. Won't he, Ace?"_

_Indeed he will, Rylin._

_I flashed Kronos a sly grin, and he launched himself at me._

_I felt Ace flash by me, and suddenly I was rising up into the air, the Titan yelling empty threats at me. "You'll regret it, Ryley! I promise you!"_

Here it was, three hundred years later, and oh man, was I regretting everything.

That was when I heard the crack, and the unmistakable sound of someone crumpling on the battlefield, all their life gone in one single, merciful stroke. I raised my head, the red haze clearing instantly, as my eyes fell on Kronos, advancing on me, scythe bloodied, then beyond him to the figure lying against the ground coughing up blood.

Oh crap.

I couldn't move.

_C'mon, _I snarled at myself. _Move,you idiot, move! _

My muscles had seized up, my heart pounding vulnerably in my chest. Aryryn was still hanging limply in my hand. The dull throb of my heart pulsed through my still body as I stood frozen, my eyes wide. Kronos moved slowly and deliberately toward me, the sunlight bending around him like he was simply an apparition, a figure in my imagination. But I knew as the cold dread tingled down my spine that this wasn't my doing. It was beyond me, and that power was what held me there, helpless.

The Lord of Time paused. His golden eyes settled on mine, noting the anger in them, then flicked around the clearing. The birdsong was gone, the trees frozen in the middle of their attempt to waver in the wind, the very ripples on the surface of the lake still in their tracks.

The idea hit me quite suddenly.

He wasn't _doing _this.

Impossible.

I exhaled ever so softly, the breath fluttering over my lips. My throat suddenly constricted; the air was driven from my body and I began to choke.

But frozen as I was, I was forced to feel the racking gasps as my lungs struggled to keep up, but finding they couldn't, began taking out their revenge on me. Kronos' head whipped toward me, and a second later I was flying through the air, slamming into an elm with all the force the Titan had mustered in his backhand. I slid down the tree, my knees buckling as I landed in the dirt. My strength seeped out of me as I lay there coughing. Something cool touched my hand.

My eyes opened slowly.

Blood was mixed in with the dirt, sinking into the ground resolutely like it had somewhere to go. It stained my hand, blossoming across my palm like a flower. I concentrated hard, prizing myself up with my elbows so I could see where it was coming from, this blood. I must have hit my head harder than I thought if all this blood was mine. That was about when I realized that I bled ichor now.

Oh gods, no.

I had been six when I saw my father die. He had gone out in a magnificent explosion; his aura winking out from around me like someone was pulling a warm blanket out from over me. The true cruelness of the world had hit after my cover had been torn so painfully apart, my world burning itself straight to the ground. I cried and I cried, until all my weakness had been drained into the earth that I lay on. I wanted to die. To have my life snuffed out like my father's, my life flame dwindling into embers, and from there, ashes. I stared down at the dirt. Where my tears had stained the ground, a flower had risen up, the petals gently opening to reveal new life. The leaves rustled as it reached up and brushed a tear from where it was trickling down my cheek.

_"Dear princess, why must you cry?"_

_"My ddaddy's ggggone," I answered honestly, trembling. "He's gone…and he's never coming back."_

_The flower expanded its petals ever so slightly in exasperation. "Those who leave us are never truly gone. Their fire still burns."_

_"I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're a stupid, lousy flower. Why are you even talking anyway? Flowers don't talk!" _

_The flower ignored my outburst and continued. "Your father lives on in you, Rylin. You were chosen for a purpose, and it is buried deep in your heart, a burning instinct that will one day eat you up. The wild needs you to save it. _

"_It needs a sacrifice." _

A sacrifice. No way would I ever let them take Max.

Not Nico either.

_Nobody I had ever loved._

The amount was so few; I could count them all on my right hand. But it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered to me was that I had been in love. I had once believed that to be beyond me.

I shifted myself onto my knees, unseeing. I could hear the crunch of the leaves under Kronos' feet as he moved ever closer, his fingers curling around Backbiter. Aryryn lay at least ten feet from me, too long of a stretch even for the goddess powers.

If the wild needed a sacrifice, then I was ready.

I stood unsteadily, my eyes still blind. I blinked a couple times, but it did nothing to clear my sight, much less my mind.

_Dying is as easy as breathing._

Alyssa had promised me so. And right now, I was very much inclined to believe her. She knew more about dying than I ever would.

I kept my eyes away from Max, fearful of the blind terror that would run rampant through me at the sight of him lying on the ground, dead. I slowly forced all my doubts out of my mind. My regrets quickly followed, and soon my mind was completely free of emotion. I wanted to die happy.

But I was as far from happy as anyone could ever be. It most definitely wasn't working.

Kronos wasn't gloating. The only sound I heard from him was the crunch of dirt under his boots as he slunk closer, the wind ruffling his hair. He was feet from me now, taking the steps two at a time. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to block out the tears sliding down my face. I wouldn't even get to see Nico one more time…

I felt a cool breath on my face.

"You're the one who wants to die now?"

"A sacrifice is needed…" The forest was whispering through the trees. Far off a wolf howled, another yowling back. I heard branches snapping under the heavy feet of some animal barreling through the trees, its ragged breath slicing in and out of its throat. The animals themselves were coming to see the sacrifice.

"Don't complain; I'm making it easier for you," I hissed.

The golden eyes were impassive. I stared into them hard, seeing and not seeing at the same time. There would be no second chances here.

_The greatest act of love is to give yourself up in the place of one that you love._

Was I doing that? Yep. Check. Was I too late to save Max? Maybe. I couldn't see him breathing. Did I want to die?

No. No check.

All of a sudden I wanted very much to live.

The scythe swung downward toward my head.

I closed my eyes in the final moment. It never came.

The clang of metal echoed through the clearing, loud in my eardrums and rattling my head. I froze, not daring to open my eyes.

I couldn't help it; I peeked.

"If you want to kill Ryley, Kronos," a voice said quietly, but full of strength, "You'll have to get through me."

* * * * * * * * * *

Wonder who…?

And by the way, Unsigned and anybody else who has read my story Secret of Time, the moment in which Rylin was frozen was the moment Jay was born. That's why Kronos wasn't doing it. His son was.


	15. My Final Battle

Here goes! The Last Chapter of Falling Star! I won't bother you with a long lecture or a long dedication, but this is it.

Dedication: Resh04, for her lovely review and comments :); Frankie-JaymeENGLISHPROUD, for being there since the beginning; Sum1, whoever the heck you are, for just simply saying that you love my story…

And the one who contributed so much…thanks, tlover13. You already know I love ya ;D

Thanks so much.

* * * * * * * * * *

_Pain. Endless amounts pulsed angrily through me, my heart flinching at the slightest brush. Molten fire raced through my veins, burning and scarring me forever inside. The memory of the pain would be imprinted in my mind forever._

_"It hurts," I moaned. _

_"I know," he replied, his voice sounding urgent, harried. "Hold on a little longer, Rylin."_

_"I can't. I can't do this!" My voice came out in a hoarse hiss. "Take it away! Please!"_

_Lyss's voice sounded broken. "Max, we're going to have to pull the spike out of her. There's no other way."_

_I felt his trembling fingers on my arm. "The pain will kill her, Lyss."_

_"There's no other way," Lyss repeated, though she didn't sound so sure of herself anymore. I felt myself twitching, but was still unable to open my eyes. My eyelids felt so heavy…_

_"Ready…" Lyss whispered. "One."_

_I was nowhere near ready. _

_"Two," Max murmured on my other side._

_"Three."_

_I bit down on my lip, drawing blood as I thrashed against the ground. Then suddenly, blissfully, the pain drained from me, and I was left pale and weak. I struggled to open my eyes._

_"Ryley?" Lyss asked, full of relief._

_"Did I get him?" I asked. I wanted to repay that demon in any way I could for the wealth of pain he had brought me. _

_Max laughed. "Yeah, you got him on the backswing. Lucky for us, Lyss caught its tail just after it sunk into you; if it hadn't been for her you'd be dead." _

_I finally opened my eyes. Both of them were looking down at me, their eyes on my face. I slowly lowered my head to look at my chest. And immediately felt dizzy._

_"Whoa." I muttered._

_A huge gaping hole sat over my ribs, blood speckled up and down my front. Even as I watched my skin was healing over the wound, sewing itself effortlessly back together again. My head spun._

_Normally I wasn't fazed a bit by blood, but this was my own, and to see myself hurt so badly threw me off. Max watched me sympathetically, his blue eyes icing over as he recovered from the shock of seeing me nearly killed. _

_Lyss stood up. "I should go get Ben." She disappeared into the darkness._

_I sighed as I leaned back against the wall, my wound burning. I closed my eyes, drained from even that simple movement. "What happened to Ben?"_

_"Too much blood." Max replied shortly. His voice was closed._

_"Ben's not afraid of blood," I muttered, just loud enough for him to hear me. The brick was cool against my neck, easing all the leftover burning from me._

_"He's not afraid of blood," Max murmured. "He's afraid of YOUR blood. He doesn't like to see you get hurt, and he couldn't bear to see you in that much pain."_

_"That's sweet of him." I said dryly. _

_Max didn't reply._

_Someone's aura flashed before my eyes; in an instant I recognized it as Ben's. He was close. I pushed myself up, still holding out one hand to support myself against the wall. My foot caught against something and I stumbled; someone caught me, my eyes flicking open in surprise. _

_Max let go of me quickly, turning his face away as his brother flew out of the darkness._

_"Ryley!" he cried._

_I grinned lopsidedly at him. "Hey, Ben."_

_He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me and giving me a gentle squeeze. I still winced, flinching immediately away from him, holding my stomach. He looked quizzically at me, and suddenly I found myself dashing away into the forest._

_I stopped by an elm, my breakfast coming up fast. I retched, wiping my mouth with the back of my sleeve, coughing like there was no tomorrow. _

_"Ryley!"_

_"I'm fine!" I snapped, whipping around._

_Ace stared at me, tipping his head. "Really?"_

_"Yeah," I nodded, leaning weakly against the elm. Pain lanced through me, but I gritted my teeth, gesturing at him to continue. "Your report?"_

_"Their numbers are great," The Pegasus said calmly. "Kronos seems to be leading them straight toward Athens, where he hopes to meet up with the main force. Zeus and his family lie in wait there, as does your father."_

_"Who's with Kronos?"_

_"Morpheus, Oceanus, Crius, Helios. And not to mention Typhon and Atlas."_

_"Looks like he managed to trick somebody into holding up the world for him yet again. I honestly don't envy them." I had been forced to hold up the world for a day as a Quest once; it hadn't been my fondest of memories. "And Typhon-that doesn't bode well."_

_"Not for us it doesn't."_ _Ace ruffled his wings. "I should get going. I'll be back tomorrow night."_

"_Bye, Ace."_

_I watched as he raced across the ground, tail streaming out behind him. In a couple of heartbeats he was out of my sight._

_I turned back to the elm. What did it all mean? Kronos hadn't shown his face for decades; who was he to think he could march right up to Athens and blow it to smithereens? Zeus wouldn't allow it, and neither would I._

_I walked slowly back to the camp, lost in thought. I unzipped the tent flap and clambered clumsily in; everyone's gazes were on me._

_Holding my side with one hand, I collapsed onto my sleeping bag. I recounted Ace's report, wishing desperately that I had better news._

_"Situation's pretty grave than." Ben spoke up._

_"They need us there!" Lyss said wistfully, her eyes clouding over. "I'm sure we could help. If only your father would-"_

_"No." Max's voice cut through Lyss's. "Pan knew what he was doing when he told Ryley to stay out of the way. He told us to protect her, and that's what I'm going to do."_

_His eyes, cold and impassive, stared at me. I glared back, barely noticing that he'd said I instead of we._

_"I don't need protection, Max." I growled fiercely. "Why can't you understand that?!"_

_His icy gaze traveled down to my blood stained shirt and back again. "Doesn't look that way to me."_

_Ben lay down next to me, one of his fingers running absentmindedly down my arm. For once I let him, narrowing my eyes at Max. I knew what I would find in his eyes, a cold unsympathetic look that I had gradually grown used to in the past weeks._

_"C'mon Ben," I said coldly. "Let's go."_

_I turned my back on Lyss and Max, frustration weighing over anger as I thrust myself through the hole. Ben followed, his hands in his pockets._

_"You shouldn't bait my brother like that," Ben said awkwardly, not looking at me. "One day you'll regret it."_

_I considered his words for a couple minutes, my brow furrowing as I continued to hold my aching side. I could feel myself breaking under all the strain that was building up in me, and I had to bite my bloodied lip to keep from screaming._

_"What does he want from me?" I hissed. "He should understand more than anyone. But he doesn't even act like himself anymore. It's like he's been replaced with a statue that walks and talks, but doesn't have feelings or thoughts. I can't do this on my own!"_

_Ben's blue eyes widened, and in a flash he had gently wound his arms around me, my side not twinging even a little bit. "Me and Lyss are here for you, Ryley. You don't have to do this alone," he whispered into my hair._

_Tears slipped down my face, and as I wiped them away I caught sight of a movement in the shadows. A lithe form leaned back against one of the trees, watching me and Ben. I narrowed my eyes defiantly at Max, briefly closing them as I drew myself back from Ben._

_"Thanks," I whispered, tears still clinging lightly to my eyelashes. "I owe you one."_

_"You certainly do," Ben said quietly. His face broke out in a grin._

_I looked up at the stars, glowing icily up in the sky. I had made up my mind._

_"Get to bed. We've got a long day ahead of us."_

_"Why?"_

_"We're going to Athens."_

_Ben flashed another grin at me as he whipped around, striding back toward the tent. I watched him go, completely ignoring the son of Zeus that came up behind me quietly. _

_"Forget it, Max." My voice was impassive. "We're going to Athens whether you like it or not. You can hate me all you want. I don't care."_

_I heard him breathe sharply in. "I don't hate you."_

_"No," I said softly. "But you will."_

_And with that, I left the son of Zeus standing in the night, alone under the stars that were glowing so coldly down upon the forest. My destiny was for no one but me, and only I could bear the burden._

_The Oracle's voice came back to me, her chilling voice sending shivers through me._

_You shall die alone. _

_The King's daughter _will_ fall._

_You will never rise again._

I would fall never to rise. It was my destiny. But something had happened; Lyss had interfered by giving her life up for mine. And things would never be the same again.

_The King's daughter will fall._

_* * * * * * * * * *  
_

The sunlight grew steadily brighter, flowing smoothly straight through the frantically waving figures of the trees, filling the clearing with blinding clarity. I froze with horror, my eyes focused on the two swords in front of me, one wickedly sharp with one wavy edge and one straight, and one that was as dark as night. Toxin fumes wafted from it, and I felt my head beginning to spin.

"Us, Nico. He'll have to go through _us_," Bianca added quietly, stepping up beside her brother. "We won't let Rylin go without a fight." Her hand was clenched around her own sword of stygian iron, her dark eyes turning into black holes.

I let my horrified gaze fall on Nico. His face was full of a controlled anger, flashing in his eyes as he knocked Backbiter away from me with a quick spin of his wrist. I barely kept from trembling as he stood protectively in front of me, blocking Kronos from my view.

"The question is, does she want to be saved?" Kronos murmured. "Ask her and then we'll see."

Nico twisted around to look at me, his dark eyes flaring. Bianca kept one eye on Kronos as she turned her attention to me, eager to hear what I had to say. I shifted my weight, my eyes wandering and becoming stuck on Max, his image the only thing I could hold in my gaze. I welcomed the pain- I deserved it for dragging Nico and Bianca into my mess. I had always been selfish, but this was an all time low, even for me.

"Do you want to be saved?" Nico's voice came out gentler than I had been expecting, and I looked up at him in shock, like a deer caught in a car's headlights. I was trapped.

I dropped my head and my gaze fell to the ground.

"I was meant to be a sacrifice. I was born to die. It's the only thing that can bring the wild back to life; the sacrifice of their new queen." I took a deep breath. "So no, Nico, I don't want to be saved."

"That's stupid!" Bianca spluttered.

I whipped my head up, fury coursing through me. They didn't understand! As soon as Kronos got past them, which undoubtedly he would, he'd kill me. And then he'd destroy everyone I loved, and my sacrifice would be for nothing. So I had to get them to let go, to let me die in peace.

"The Oracle hasn't been telling you for three hundred years that your life would be brought to a cruel and inhumane end by your own father, has she? _The King's daughter shall rise, only to fall_. You don't have to hear that crap every single time you wake up in the morning, wondering if it'll be your last day, or if this breath you're breathing will be your last! Ever since she spoke to me on the eve of my fifteenth birthday, telling me that everyone I cared about would be destroyed, and that I would be next, I've stayed away from people for over two hundred years." I paused. "And then I met you, Nico. I can't stay away from you, and I'm the most selfish person alive for that. Look at Max!" Bianca snapped her gaze away from me.

"Oh my gods-" She began, but I ignored her.

"I cared about him, and on the first night I see him again he gets killed! I'm a curse, a murderer, a plague; everybody's been looking at me all wrong! Lyss was wrong to save me, I'm a Titan and I always will be. You should stay away from me if you know what's good for you; I can't stand to see anyone else suffer! That's why I want to die!" I hissed furiously. "It'll be better for everyone when I'm gone."

Bianca's mouth was wide open as my fury died out. I didn't look at Nico, hoping desperately that I'd managed to cushion the blow enough so that it would be a clean break, not a jagged one. He needed to forget me if he wanted to keep living. It was as simple as that.

There was a long silence. I looked around the clearing, and was surprised to see animals lined up along the edge of the forest all around us, watching quietly. Their eyes glittered in the shadows. I sighed. I couldn't let my kingdom down, no matter what the cost.

"I won't let you."

His voice was shaky, the words a spike being driven into my heart.

I wanted to bring up the time when he had happily exchanged me for his sister, leaving me in the Underworld to be in pain for all eternity. But I couldn't hurt him more than I already had.

"Then you don't have to watch," I muttered.

I brushed past him toward Kronos, who looked half amused. How dare he.

Nico's arm stopped me. "Listen to what I have to say first."

I wasn't going to look at him. I wasn't going to…

His fingers gently tipped my chin up, forcing me to look deep into his pitch black eyes. My heart stopped. The words tumbled from me against my will.

"I don't want to hurt you," I pleaded. "If I have to give myself up to save you, I will."

"I know," Nico murmured, his face an inch from mine. "But I'm not asking you to."

"It's the only way. Let me go." I studied his dark eyes, some unfamiliar emotion swimming in them. I wanted to reach out and touch him, but I held myself back. It would just make everything so much harder.

"I can't." His voice faltered. "Stop asking me to."

I lowered my head against his hand. "I guess we have nothing more to say to each other, then." I pushed past him, stopping before Kronos. My eyes met his golden ones fearlessly as I raised my head. I saw a brief flicker of respect in his eyes before he sauntered forward to kill me, his scythe in hand.

"Rylin, you can't do this!" Bianca burst out. I was astonished to see her crying.

"I'm sorry, Bianca."

"Sorry doesn't cover it! It never will!"

I ignored her sobs. Cut myself out of the picture with a brutal slash, feeling the tape holding my heart together crumble into dust. Doing what was best for them, the least selfish act ever in my life.

Then came the words that froze me in my tracks.

"Ryley, I think I'm in love with you."

* * * * * * * * * *

Ace flew in a circle above the forest, as his hawk like eyes scoured the forest for any trace of the demigods. His wings beat heavily on the still air, the sun warming his feathers like the thermals, a comfortable warmth that burned through him lazily. He snorted.

_Don't worry; it'll have all the action you can take, bro. _Blackjack had said.

That Pegasus had a serious honesty issue.

He closed his eyes for a brief moment, enjoying the warmth as he ruffled his feathers in the lovely summer evening. The past few days had been terrible on Ace; flying at his highest speed to get to New York in time, he had nearly given himself a heart attack when Sparkles had plummeted out of the sky right over Camp Halfblood with a happy whinny. His son was quite prone to overexcitement, as he had been to find out that a huge battle was about to take place. Blackjack had assured Ace that he would do everything he could to calm his son down, and Ace had decided he would try to help the demigods with anything they might need. If only he could find them.

His gaze raking over the waving treetops again, this time he caught sight of something. Ace dived to get a closer look.

In the clearing, Ace could see a couple people. They seemed to be arguing, and two of them were standing so close together that he thought they might start throwing punches any second. A girl was standing a couple feet away; she was watching the two close together intently, completely ignoring the fourth figure who stood a ways away, something sharp glittering wickedly in his hand.

Finally the person broke apart from the other, who looked so heartbrokenly after her that Ace felt pity stir his heart. Then he rested his gaze on the back of the girl who was moving toward the guy with the wicked blade. With a jolt, fiery recognition raced through him. It was Rylin!

The guy with the sword raised it.

With dread creeping through his heart, Ace knew what he intended to do.

His wings moving faster than light itself, the Pegasus launched himself at the Titan, his teeth bared in a snarl. _Never!_

He saw the sword flash down. _I have to save her!_

Without thinking, Ace threw himself in between Rylin and Kronos.

Pain exploded through the Pegasus. His back felt shattered, his mind swimming hazily on the borderline between life and death, between the feelings pulsing through him and the memories. Rylin's face appeared to him out of the mist, and warm relief spread through him. He had saved her. He had finally paid off his debt to her…

With reluctance, with regret Ace passed over the border, plunging into the dark hole where none could follow.

Following the trail to the place where only the dead could call home.

* * * * * * * * * *

Feathers exploded around me. There was a sickening thud as something ran headlong into the ground, blood blossoming across the ground, lapping against my sneakers. I found myself screaming, having finally found my emotions and my voice.

"ACE!!!" I screamed, tears surging down my face. He had to have survived. He was Ace, the mightiest of all the Pegasi, and he was mine. I hadn't just picked any Pegasus, I had picked the one I had fallen in love with at first sight. "NO!!! ACE!!!"

Why didn't he answer?! A numb fog slowly spread across my mind. Ace had never kept me waiting before, and suddenly I knew that if there was any chance of me worrying about him, he'd come up and whinny his warm little laugh and nuzzle my cheek. Where was he? Didn't he know I was freaking out?

The feathers slowly floated to the ground, drifting down gently. I expected him to come bursting out at any moment, whinnying his hooves off. But he didn't.

Something cool brushed my cheek. Someone turned me gently around, and suddenly I was sobbing into Nico's leather jacket, shaking. He wrapped his arms around me, content just to be there when I needed him.

"Where is he, Nico? Where's Ace?" I asked desperately.

His eyes brimming with pain, he just looked down at me and shook his head.

"He's gone, Rylin."

The ground thundered beneath me. Rain began to fall, huge drops the splattered me from head to toe. But still I stood there, safe in Nico's arms, as my heart tried valiantly to repair itself. The tears gradually slowed, and finally I took in a deep breath.

"KRONOS!!!" A deep voice roared, shaking the earth beneath my feet. Nico wordlessly handed me Aryryn, brushing his lips gently against mine for a second that seemed to last forever.

_"Go get him," _his eyes seemed to say.

I whipped around, my eyes blazing as new strength poured into me from Aryryn. My grip was strong, my anger even stronger. The storm swirled around me, a tornado of which I was the center, the winds surging around me.

"KRONOS!!" I roared, Aryryn blazing furiously. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!"

He chuckled, knowing it would irk me. "Was that Pegasus that _important_ to you, Rylin?"

The animals were racing around me, their eyes burning flames like they were possessed. I nodded at Kronos, and they leapt as one, attacking with a fierce rage that didn't extinguish as the Titan rose to meet them. Kronos' scythe whirled- a wolf fell to the ground soundlessly and didn't get up, and I winced.

Time seemed to slow down. The scythe continued to spin, but its owner was no longer holding it quite as hard. It was hard to tell, but it looked like Kronos' eyes were widening in fear. Wolf after wolf lashed out at him, and I could tell he was tiring rapidly, his golden eyes round with surprise.

"_Hold._" I thundered, and all the animals froze at the sound of my voice.

I walked softly over to Kronos.

"If Ace were here, he wouldn't want me to kill you, Kronos. He was always gentle, even with his enemies." I saw his face falling into one of relief. "But Ace isn't here right now. I am. And I won't stand for it." Aryryn glowed in my hand, casting shadows across the clearing.

"You finally got your wish, Kronos. I want to kill you." I whispered, enjoying the look of helplessness flickering on his face. "This is what you wanted, wasn't it? You wanted to die?"

His face suddenly hardened and suddenly I was reminded of the look on Kampe's face right before I killed her.

Kampe's old words came flowing back to me.

"_We will hunt you until the end of time."_

"We will hunt you until the end of time." Kronos growled, hatred contorting his handsome face. I could only wonder at what he meant. After I killed him, he wouldn't be coming back.

"What do you mean?" I hissed.

He narrowed his eyes at me menacingly. "You will find out soon enough. Dream while you can, Rylin. After we're finished with you, you'll never dream again."

He snapped his fingers, and I stared down in disbelief as his body turned into sand, crumbling, falling in a torrent down to the ground. A small pile of dust stood at my feet.

"COWARD!" I yelled.

"We will meet again, Rylin Becker," his voice whispered in my ear. "That's a promise."

I whirled around, Aryryn held tightly in my hand.

There was nothing there.

_We. He said we. _We _will hunt you until the end of time._

Who else was there?! Who else would he be able to convince to join his cause, who else would be willing to join forces with the Titans? Aryryn sunk blade first into the soft ground at my feet as I pushed down on it, gleaming wickedly in the sunlight as my storm retreated, leaving the sun blazing on my skin. I shivered. It felt as cold as ice to me, like a shard of ice was sinking its way into my back.

_Dream while you can, Rylin._ And what was that about?

I heard Nico step up to my side, Bianca watching us from across the clearing. Her eyes were narrowed, though they were still sparkling from tears. I turned wordlessly back to my sword, tipping my head back to the sky with a sigh, the wind ruffling my hair with icy fingers.

"I meant what I said." Nico said quietly behind me.

"So did I. I'm a _curse, _Nico. A curse that will one day destroy you." I said tiredly.

"I don't believe any of that crap." Nico suddenly snapped. "I don't believe _you_." His voice was angry, but under that were all the emotions warring against each other-his worry, his anxiousness, and the one he tried desperately to hide the most. Love.

I slowly turned around. "After everything, you still want me?" I couldn't help it; my voice fell flat on incredulous.

"Of course I do," he whispered, gentle now. His hands came up to either side of my face, forcing my gaze to stay locked on his. I gazed at him, totally immersed in the joy that was welling up in me, the happiness that was filling up the gap in my heart that Ace had torn away.

"I always will. I love you."

He kissed me lightly, breaking away after a few seconds to look at me curiously. I hadn't reacted at all. I took a deep shaky breath as my legs threatened to collapse beneath me, burning the words in my memory. _I love you._

"That works out good, then…" I murmured, a grin breaking out on my face. "I'm in love with you too."

As I launched myself at him, my heart pounding, seeing the love shining in his eyes, I felt something in me click. Some piece of me had slipped into place, and I was finally complete. His lips cool against my own, I couldn't help but feel that perhaps my new destiny had only just begun. _My new life._

_At last, on the final day, the rose bursts into bloom._

* * * * * * * * * *

"I _said _that's the ugliest sweater I've ever seen," the Hunter said again, her voice filling with venom and malice. "You've been around for centuries and you still can't afford Abercrombie like the rest of us, can you? You're POOR!" She said it like it was a swearword, and all the Hunters behind her gasped.

We were in the training room, and I _had _been helping Chiron with the newbies, teaching them which end of the sword that you should hold on to, and how to swing it and such, when Thalia and the rest of Artemis' Hunter had burst into the room. Thalia was at the lead, scathing comments and insults rolling of her tongue as she followed behind me as I attempted to ignore her and continue to teach.

But this time she had gone too far.

"Guys," I said brightly to the class, "I think the time has come for a practice match. Gather round, gather round. Today it will be me versus that slutty Hunter that you see over there." The class giggled.

"Have you _taken_ a look at yourself lately, Ryley? YOU'RE the slut." There was a gasp from the class, and the Hunters sniggered. Thalia looked smugly at me, pulling out her sword. "Let's get this over with."

"Let's," I agreed, hatred dripping in my voice.

Thalia began circling around me, her eyes slinking around trying to find an opening. I kept whipping around, keeping my eyes locked steadily on hers.

Finally, on the third circle around, she lunged at me.

I dodged to the side, sticking out my foot. Thalia stumbled over it and smacked headlong into the wall with a satisfying crack. The class burst into yells, cheering and laughing their little heads off.

"Get her, Ryley!"

"Do that again!"

"Kill the Hunter!"

Thalia turned around, her blue eyes blazing. She ran at me, her sword crackling with electricity that darted straight for me. I held my hand out and sucked it in, the energy briefly flaring over me as I narrowed my eyes, Aryryn flashed up to block her weak swing at my head. In a second I was on the offensive, my sword ringing against hers again and again. Her hand was trembling at the effort of holding me back, her eyes widening in surprise.

My sword caught against the edge of hers. In a second the Hunter's sword was embedded deeply into the front door, up to its hilt in the wood where I had flung it. Aryryn flicked up to her throat.

"And THAT is how it's done, class," I grinned. "I win, Thalia."

She glared at me as I removed Aryryn, slipping it into its sheath strung over my shoulder. She retained her silence as she stomped over to the door, the Hunters following in a large clump as they whispered among themselves. The door cracked as it slammed shut with a loud boom.

Chiron parted the jabbering class, making his way toward me with one eyebrow raised. The class parted for him, slipping closer together to discuss the beating of Artemis' second in command. The voices rose and fell around me, a warm murmur, and I closed my eyes.

"Very nice," Chiron said from beside me.

"Well, I'd heard they didn't teach heroes as well as they used to at this place anymore," I shrugged, flicking my eyes open. "Something about an old centaur not being a good teacher."

A grin burst across his face. "You've always been the best I've ever taught."

"Thank you," I curtsied mockingly. Then I looked at the door, creaking on its hinges. A crowd was pushing their way through, and already I was picking out many of the familiar faces. Percy shoved his way to the front, gently pulling Annabeth along after him. He had a solemn expression, but underneath I could sense his excitement.

"Ryley!" He called across the room, his green eyes sparkling despite his serious face. The class fell silent again as they turned to watch with wide eyes. "What did you do to Thalia?"

"Nothing that wasn't coming to her," I muttered, but Chiron held up his arm to stop me.

"You know when you asked me if Rylin was as good as you?" Chiron said, his eyes glowing with a wickedly sly gleam. "Now's your chance to find out."

I tipped my head curiously. "Not another fight," I groaned.

"It would do the class good to see the masters at work," Chiron insisted, that sly sparkle still in his eyes.

"Only if Percy agrees-" I began reluctantly.

"Sure."

I groaned again. "Let's go outside."

The crowds filed out onto the grass in front of the Big House, their faces alight with grins. They were lucky- today I was in the mood for kicking demigod butt. Now that I had tasted victory in the fight against Thalia, I wanted to try it again. Hopefully Percy would be more of a challenge.

Aryryn slid out, the blade glowing with what could only be called excitement, the sunlight sparking off and decorating Percy's face with rainbow-ed stripes. I stopped in front of the son of Poseidon, who held Riptide casually in his hand, and the crowd made a wide circle around us. I grinned as I remembered the circle at Athens, where I had spent thirteen years as the champion before I'd had to disappear off the face of the earth.

Chiron stood between the two of us. "Same rules as Capture the Flag. Powers are allowed, with the exception of earthquakes, Rylin. I do not wish for the Big House to be demolished." I cracked another grin. "First to be disarmed loses."

He made me and Percy shake hands, then cantered back toward the crowd, who parted respectfully for the old centaur. I met Percy's sea green eyes with a glittering gaze. "Let's get this over with."

He nodded, shifting back. But the way he held himself up told me he'd enjoy every minute of our duel.

To be honest, I felt the same.

I turned my back on him, shutting my eyes gently. I heard the breeze singing over metal, and whirled instinctively; Aryryn clashed with Riptide with a loud clang. I pushed him back, putting the full force of the wind behind me. Percy slid back a couple feet, his eyes narrowed as he fought against the pressure.

I raced toward him, vaulting myself over his head with a gentle push off the ground. He swung Riptide back at me in a flash, but Aryryn blocked it, the blade burning with an inner fury that I felt settling over me. Battle was my element, and I was the one in control.

Riptide quelled the flame burning through Aryryn, and I slipped, my foot sliding over the thin layer of ice that glassed over the grass. Percy came up behind me, and I dodged to the right, slicing with Aryryn as I whirled around. It rang hollowly against Riptide again, the bronze blade glittering coldly at me, hypnotizing me with the gleam that caught my eye…

In a second I was being flung back across the yard; the water that had hit me had felt at least as solid as cement. I caught myself in the air and landed gracefully, my toes brushing the water slicked grass.

"Don't forget," I began slowly, holding Aryryn aloft as I advanced toward him, "that water is MY element too."

Willing it to rise, all the water soaking the front lawn of the Big House flowed effortlessly toward me, collecting in a tunnel around Aryryn, roiling and surging powerfully as I poured my power into holding it there.

"Catch THIS!"

With a flick of my wrist, the water pummeled through the air, soaring away from me and pouring on Percy, who for once actually managed to get wet. He was still smiling, though, as I felt the ground rumble slightly behind me.

Blackjack snorted.

_Hello, princess._

I slowly turned around, my eyes wide. "Blackjack…"

He tossed his kingly head smugly, whinnying to the sky. _The one and only. _

"Cheater!" I yelled across the yard at Percy, who narrowed his eyes. "Blackjack isn't a power! He's, he's…"

"Yours too, if you want him," Percy's breath tickled my ear. "I heard about all about Ace. I'm so sorry." I whirled around, meeting his green gaze with my blue ones, my eyes wide. A half grin was on his face, and suddenly I could see what it was that Annabeth loved about him.

"You would do that for me…?" I whispered, at a complete loss.

_Of course the boss would. His heart ain't made of stone, princess. You'll have to get used to the smell, of course; that fishy scent is why he's Poseidon's only son-_

"Blackjack!" Percy scolded, rolling his eyes. I grinned halfheartedly, thoughts of Ace still clouding my mind.

Turning back to me, Percy raised his eyebrows. "Ready to finish this once and for all?"

"You bet. Let's give these newbies something to remember." I nodded, my hand tightening around Aryryn.

"You won't get too mad if I win, will you?" Percy's voice was suddenly back near my ear. "The Goddess won't get too prissy, will she?"

"Maybe…she…WILL!" I snapped back as I raked Aryryn through the air, throwing myself back. So much for the surprise tactic; Percy wasn't even giving it a chance. His eyes flashed as he backed out of range. Suddenly I was struck by a realization.

"You were in the river Styx, weren't you?" I found myself sucking in a breath as I advanced, Aryryn glowing in a blinding light.

"Yeah," Percy admitted as the water beneath me swirled toward him, coiling around his outstretched hand that he was holding straight at me, his palm open and sparkling brightly. I waved Aryryn once; it burst happily into flames, the embers licking around the edge of the blade. A golden eagle burst out of the end, speeding straight at the son of Poseidon.

Percy raised his fist, and as the golden eagle came within range he let fall, the water pummeling the eagle deep into the ground. As the dust cleared a crater was revealed, an imprint of a fist that would probably be there permanently.

"Chiron won't like that," I murmured to myself. Percy grinned.

"One last charge," he said, raising Riptide. "May the best man win."

"Or woman," someone called out behind me.

"Come to watch the show, Bianca? Did Thalia go back to you with her tail tucked between her legs, whining?" I called out, not turning my back on Percy. I didn't like the way he was eyeing me.

"Be nice, Ryley," Bianca scolded. But then she added, "Well, what would you expect?"

Percy was still grinning lopsidedly as he flew at me, Riptide aimed straight at my head.

I had only a second to dodge, and I ducked at exactly the right moment. I heard Percy stumble unsteadily, and I whirled around, springing at him. Riptide glittered lightly against Aryryn again, and I narrowed my eyes at the green ones inches from my own. I had forgotten all about the water that was floating around under his control- he flicked a finger lazily at me, and it spun around us, cutting off all my air.

"Forget you, Chiron," I muttered, gasping. I raised my arm back and drove Aryryn deep into the ground, ripples spreading outward from it through the lawn. The earth rocked and buckled beneath us, and the water stopped spinning. I took a hesitant breath.

Percy was sprawled on the ground of me, the wind knocked out of him. Riptide was still tightly gripped in his right hand. Bianca stood across from me, on the other side of Percy. Her dark aura was expanding and roiling in rage against the sunlight, fighting to gain ground. The daughter of Hades looked expressionlessly back at me, her eyes reminding me with an aching pain that Lyss had had those eyes, that she had lived on this once grassy green earth, and that as long as Bianca and Nico were around I was never going to forget it…

My sight flickered and then went out. I felt a thick fog of numbness smothering my every breath. My lungs racked in protest.

Before me lay a magnificent throne room, with soft vinyl carpet and soft marble pillars, a room that reminded me so deeply of my home back in Athens that I momentarily forgot to breath. It didn't last long.

Someone was curled up on the throne sleepily, his head resting against the soft leather. He was nothing but a shadow in my gaze; something was blocking me from seeing him clearly. Tremors went through the floor, flooding up to the person in the throne who awoke gently, raising his head to glance swiftly around the room.

Nothing could stop the sudden wave of despair that crashed through me, the ropes that were constricting my throat. I gasped out a warning as I fell sprawled across the carpet, frozen on my back. My eyes were steadily widening in horror.

_Come to me._

The boy shook his head weakly. "No."

_Come to me, boy. I have not the patience to be waiting for you. Already your brother has made the decision to serve me; the girl has accepted as well. You are the last one standing._

"Liar," the boy's voice whispered, though he didn't sound as confident anymore. "They would never-"

_Look for yourself._

The throne room disappeared. Standing in its place was…

Hanna.

She was proud, strong like she used to be, swinging a dangerous looking sword. Enemies were falling like leaves around her; over and over she slashed through the ranks, a fierce look dominating her once gentle features. She was in the center of the hurricane, roiling and whipping out from her as she slammed into the opposing forces.

It was uncontrollable agony, that spike being driven deep into me.

The vision switched, and suddenly Ben was there, lightning surging around him in an arc. His blue eyes sparkled with energy, all around him were the remains of the Olympians' last stand, the burning ruins of Camp Halfblood all around him. And crouching in the dirt opposite him, head low in defeat, bloodied and torn, I recognized…myself.

Aryryn was lying in a pool of my own blood, which I was coughing up repeatedly, my lungs racking. I could feel the shadow's muscles tense, the searing pain that exploded outward from the boy as he whipped around, anger mounting.

"BEN!" he roared. We were suddenly back in the throne room.

_This will come to pass, _Kronos promised. _I can protect her; with your strength enhancing mine, I can make sure nothing will happen._

Then I felt his malicious eyes on me as he added, _Max._

Fury rolled through me. Then agony as the spike was driven further in. I writhed on the floor, holding my head in as the spike drove an irreparable hole in my chest. Carved away my emotions, erasing the walls that kept the hurt from pouring in and overwhelming me. I screamed.

"Ryley!" someone yelled.

I was whipped back to reality. The ground was cold against my cheek, and as I came to I realized that I was curled up on the ground, sobbing my sorry heart out. The tears were falling freely upon the ground, sinking in and dirtying my face. My chest was splitting open, blazing with a fierce flame that seared up and down.

A gentle hand brushed my damp hair from my face, lifting my head and settling it in his lap. I didn't know how he had gotten there, how he had known that I was in pain; he had just sensed it. I didn't care how, all I cared about was how glad I was that Nico was _here_, with me. He could be strong enough for the both of us.

"I'm here," he whispered fiercely into my ear. "No one is going to hurt you, I promise."

I was still trembling, and I didn't dare open my eyes for fear of what I would see. Kronos' smirking face, him torturing Max…

"Max," I sobbed. "He's got Max. And Hanna, and Ben…"

"No he doesn't," Nico's voice came in soothingly, with the tiniest hint of surprise. "We…honored them this morning. I felt it, Ryley. Felt their souls seeping beneath the ground, already growing sleepy in anticipation of their long awaited rest. Kronos cannot bring people back from the dead."

The tears slowed as my shivers subsided. "They're…safe?"

"Yes, they are." Nico promised, and I opened my eyes just a little bit. His worried face looked back down at me, and I instantly relaxed. Nico leaned down and pressed his lips lightly against mine, the feelings of affection driving out the last dregs of pain.

"Get back," Percy warned as I sat up. From the looks of it, the entire camp had gathered to see my breakdown, and they were trying to surge forward, bursting with questions. I looked around blankly.

"I need to see Rachel," I murmured to Nico. He looked questioningly into my eyes for a moment, then nodded as he pulled me up.

"Get Rachel. It's urgent," Nico said quietly to Percy. The son of Poseidon disappeared into the crowd with a nod. Bianca stormed up to me, her eyes blazing.

"What-" she poked me hard in the chest-"is wrong with you? YOU HAD PERCY AND YOU JUST LET HIM GO!!!"

"It's not like I had a choice," I snarled right back, itching for a fight. "Kronos-"

"That's enough!" Nico said sharply, pushing Bianca away as he slipped in between us. "Ryley's been through a terrible ordeal today! Just leave her alone!"

Bianca opened her mouth to protest.

"Let it go, Bianca," Nico said, his voice softer. She shot me a glare, then turned on her heel and stomped off, presumably to plot my unpleasant death with Thalia. Feelings of indifference pulsed through me. None of it mattered. I _had_ to speak with Rachel.

Percy suddenly appeared, dragging the Oracle of Delphi after him. Rachel looked like she'd been drugged, stumbling along after Percy and tripping over her own feet. That stirred up my first feeling besides numbness: pity. They halted before us, and the crowd fell silent, eager to hear what was going on.

"Rachel?" I asked gently.

She met my stare vacantly, then made more of an effort as she shook her head wearily. "What?"

"Listen; you know about visions, right?" Rachel gave a humorless laugh before I went on, which I took to be a yes. "Well, I just had one."

I could almost see Rachel's ears perk up. "Go on."

"It was about Max, Ben, and Hanna. Kronos was trying to persuade them to join him, and it just felt so _real_, all of it. The pain, everything." Kronos had already gotten Ben and Hanna; only Max was still fighting. But he wasn't going to last very long; even I could see that. "He showed Max a picture of Ben destroying Camp Halfblood, and killing me. And then he said-"

_It will come to pass._

"It will come to pass," Rachel whispered, her eyes growing blank, suddenly flooding black. "And when it comes, Rylin Becker, you had better be ready or all will fall."

The true Oracle stared at me, her night filled eyes bitter.

"So he has them?" I whispered brokenly, fearing the worst.

"That I cannot see," she announced, frustrated. "It isn't possible. They are long gone on the path into the Underworld. Or they _should _be."

I felt the pit of my stomach drop. And with it, all my hopes for the future.

I had failed to kill Kronos.

_And because of me, Camp Halfblood will burn…_

The End.

* * * * * * * * * *

Rylin's story will continue in The Secret of Time.

Those of you who have read the beginning of Secret- I know, Rylin and the others haven't been in it much, but the demititans are extremely important to the plot so I thought I'd begin by introducing them. Please R&R with everything you've got.


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